Rose Hortencia Muñoz

Rose Hortencia Munoz passed away on Tuesday, December 17th at her home in San Jose. She was born in San Francisco, May 11, 1933 to Domitilla and Nasario Villarreal. She lived there with her parents and her 3 brothers, Victor, Benito and Charlie. She would tell stories of rolling down the streets of San Francisco in wine barrels, selling newspapers and shining shoes for money. She loved being with her big brothers.

When she was 12, she moved to San Jose. Shortly after she became a migrant farm worker traveling up and down California with her family and cousin Betty. In her late teens to early 20’s she worked in the family restaurant and lived with her mom and sisters, Emilia and Ruthila. At the restaurant is where she met her husband in August of 1953. The first time she met him she knew “that is the man I am going marry”. On May 21, 1955 she married Albert R. Munoz. A year later she became a mother for the first time and raised 8 children. Her family was everything to her.

She loved the beach and passed that love on to her family. She was always up for a trip to Seacliff or Santa Cruz just to be near the ocean. She loved working in her garden, cooking, sewing, watching movies, especially musicals, writing in her journals to her family and loved animals. Most of all she loved her husband of 64 years. She was a kind loving and welcoming person that would bring others into her family and was often referred to as “Mom” to all that knew her. She had so many nicknames, Tencha, Ortie, Little Grandma, Mema, Hortencia and Rose. After Rose and Albert were married, he never called her by her first name, he had a special pet name for her.

Rose was a devout catholic and was part of the Guadalupana’s at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where her and Albert were parishioners for 60+ years. She was close to the neighborhood and her community. She made friends with everyone she met and looked out for them.

In her later years, one of her favorite vacations were her trips to Disneyland, being a first-time visitor at the age of 83. The Tiki Room was her favorite attraction.

She is survived by her Husband Albert R. Munoz Sr., her children, Lilly and Brett Wakeman, Albert Munoz Jr. and Carmen Contreras, Carlos and Laura Munoz, Tina Tello and Peter Bonin, Marty Munoz, Marcos Sr. and Tracy Munoz, Samantha Munoz and Tim Gilbert and Dee Dee Gallegos. Her 12 Grandchildren, Sonya Munoz, Kyle Valent, Kyle Munoz, Wesley Wakeman, Chrissy Lanthier, Danica Tello, Marcos Munoz Jr., Jessica Wakeman, Joshua Wakeman, Kiana Munoz, Jordan Tello, Grant Gallegos and 4 Great-Grandchildren; Trinity Sanders, Eli Munoz, Sarabi Lanthier, and Nikolai Lanthier.

Her family will miss her loving touch on their face, and sometimes a little “pat”, her hugs, her warm smile, her sense of humor, her laugh, and her serious side when she scolded you, but even more they will miss her love and advice. She never told you what to do unless you asked, and then you better be ready for the truth.

Most of all they will miss how she cared and loved her “honey”. She cared for him every day they were together, doing everything for him because that is what she wanted to do for him. They always kissed 3 times, every time they left each other. Her kids will miss the phone calls to say “let’s go to the beach for breakfast” or just to check on you and see how you are doing.

Her family will rest in the comfort of knowing she is no longer in pain and is at peace with God.