Rosa Colon

Rosa, the youngest of five children, was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, but she spent most of her adult life in Brooklyn, New York and Orlando, Florida.

She dedicated a large portion of her adult life to assisting others, as she served as a caseworker in New York City for over 15 years. Although she loved to help people on so many levels, both professionally and personally, sitting behind a desk was not for her. Jobs that required her to be immobile and otherwise removed from social contact just wasn’t cutting it for her. No, she needed to be on her feet all the time, which might help explain how she managed to wear out her left knee so quickly.

The birth of her one and only grandson in Florida prompted her to move south. By combining her love for cooking, baking and simply being around people, she found her calling as a cake decorator in Orlando, Florida. Rosa loved to party and, even though she didn’t know many of her customers personally, a part of her, through her exquisite cakes, got to attend every birthday, anniversary, graduation and new job celebration in town.

Rosa was the quintessential giver. She gave her love, she gave her heart, she gave her sole, and yes, she very often gave her opinion. She was always willing to share her opinion, whether solicited or not, on the best way to do just about anything, especially in the kitchen. Rosa gave, treating others as though they sprung from her loins. Rosa gave to strangers as though they were her own children. Rosa continued to give, even when others suggested otherwise. When she received visitors, it was always “her thing” to present them with a little memory of the time spent together. She was an avid shopper, but most of the time, she was shopping for others. That was Rosa, the unselfish giver.

Make no mistake, however, about her love of shopping. When she shopped for herself, she really shopped for herself. Always looking for bargains and the best possible prices, she would return home with shopping bags of goodies, boasting proudly about how little everything cost. That was Rosa, the super-smart shopper.

Christmas was always a great time of year for many reasons, but there were two things that the family always looked forward to once the Christmas tree went up; Rosa’s pasteles and coquito. Store bought pasteles and coquito from a cardboard container didn’t make the cut for her. Everything was made from scratch. Making pasteles with Rosa was a time for family gathering organized with the precision of a conductor in front of an orchestra. “Nene no” was a frequent remark when too much masa was placed in the improperly cut banana leaf, or the strings that secured these packets of deliciousness were cut too short. But make no mistake, the family knew that the result would be perfect, so the troops fell in line to follow her instructions perfectly.

Rosa loved to travel, especially on cruises. For her retirement in 2014, she cruised Italy, France and Spain, while taking an unexpected plane ride to Dublin, Ireland on her way to meet the cruise ship in Barcelona, Spain. Navigating the airport in Dublin proved to be a challenging and learning experience for her, as she attempted to pay for a cup of coffee in Ireland with American dollars (when they only accept Euros), and thinking she was in Dubai, thanks in part to the DUB airport code for Dublin. But, true to Rosa’s form and character, she met the challenge with a laugh, and continued on her journey. As a matter of fact, the photo that accompanies this writing was taken on that very trip. See how happy she is?

Another one of her favorite travel destinations was Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was always in search of the perfect meal and, of course, the perfect jackpot. The jackpot quest is no surprise, when you look back to her place of birth. It must have been an omen that the zip code of her home town of Juncos, Puerto Rico is 00777. She loved the neon lights of the strip, the calling of BINGO numbers and the shows, but she absolutely loved the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel and Casino. She loved this hotel almost as much as her telenovelas, which she would often watch until the wee hours of the morning.

In search of a drier climate, closer to Las Vegas and wineries, perhaps, Rosa relocated to Southern California, in the winery-laden city of Temecula in 2016. It was there that Rosa, beloved mother, aunt, grandmother and, most importantly, friend, made her last unselfish gesture on October 16, 2020 when she passed peacefully from this life in her sleep. Rest in peace.