Dulce "Rose" Alfonso

Dulce Maria del Rosario Valcarce Alfonso, “Rose,” peacefully entered into eternal glory from her Tampa home on Saturday, January 20th, 2024. Rose lived an extraordinary life, often describing her 95-year journey as “pure magic.”

A true Guantanamera, Rose was born in the rural town of Guantanamo, Cuba, on January 14, 1929, to Spanish ex-pats. Rose, the family's youngest child and only daughter, following three sons, was the treasured jewel of her family.

Her father, Antonio, was a true “guajiro” and a proud Freemason, doing business exclusively on horseback. He had a notorious love for coffee, frequently roasting green espresso beans over an open fire in his backyard. Nearly a century later, the family still treasures their morning cafecito with “espumitas.”

While Rose’s childhood was idyllic, filled with running in the countryside ("campo") and catching fish with her friends, her mother valued education above all. The family moved to Havana in pursuit of better schools. It was there, in Havana, that her father, Antonio, passed away at a young age from illness. To make ends meet, her mother, Rosario, transformed their Havana home into a boarding facility for University of Havana students.

Rose eventually enrolled at the University of Havana herself. It was through one of the students in her family’s boarding house, Architectural student Miguel Alcolado, nicknamed “Pipo,” that she met her future husband, Carlos Alfonso. She, in turn, introduced Pipo to her best friend, Olga. Their enduring friendship spanned generations, persevered through the loss of their homeland, and continues today through their children and grandchildren.

Carlos, with his dry humor and quiet nature, complemented Rose's cheerful and lively personality perfectly. Their courtship in Havana, filled with dances at the Tropicana (under chaperone supervision), led to a marriage proposal from Carlos. However, Rose's mother insisted Rose first complete her accounting degree before marrying or having children. Honoring this, Carlos promised Rose's mother to support Rose's education. They wed on September 29, 1952. Despite the challenges of raising children, Rose fulfilled her mother's vision and Carlos's promise by completing her degree, taking her final exam while nine months pregnant with their fourth child.

Rose, originally imagining herself as a mother to daughters, ended up having four sons, all born in Havana.

Although she playfully blamed her sons for her need of a pacemaker, she embraced her role as a mother to boys, acknowledging that it was God's best plan for her.

Despite the early losses of her father and a brother, Rose's most profound sorrow came with the death of her youngest son, Enriquito, who passed away peacefully from SIDS at six months old. Rose often said that she “never got over it.” Overwhelmed by grief and with three young sons still in need of her care, another devastating blow was imminent. In 1959, a new perilous and oppressive regime came to power in Cuba. Realizing a threat to their family's freedom and security, they understood, like many others, that it was time to leave their idyllic homeland. Amidst their shared grief, the couple realized the need to act quickly.

Several close friends helped them obtain an exit visa to convalesce abroad. Posing as tourists, the family packed swimsuits and snorkels and flew to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They stayed at a friend's resort for six weeks before securing their journey to Tampa.

Rose and Carlos's comfortable life in Cuba was replaced by hardship. Mourning their losses and without proficiency in English, they worked tirelessly to rebuild their lives for their three young boys in America. Rose recalled how, in those early days, the family shared a single set of utensils. Carlos, trained as an architect, initially took a job as a draftsman, but he persevered, eventually passing his State of Florida certification exam to become a fully licensed architect. Meanwhile, Rose, who could not drive, created a nurturing and loving home for their family in Temple Park, on the outskirts of Tampa.

The family grew accustomed to their new home and eventually prospered. Rose and Carlos frequently sacrificed to ensure that their boys received the best education possible, with all three sons graduating from Jesuit High School in Tampa and the University of Florida.

In Tampa, Rose flourished with her husband's encouragement. She became fluent in English, obtained her driver's license, and was a twenty-year employee of the Hillsborough Community College’s Department of Accounting.

Eventually, through her three sons' marriages, she was blessed with eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She was the love of her husband Carlos’ life until his passing in 2002 at the age of 78.

Known as "Rose" to her friends and "Yaya" to her grandchildren, everyone who met her loved her wit and wisdom. For the next 22 years, Rose served as a beacon of love for both her immediate and extended family. She was a wonderful mother-in-law to her sons' wives and a cherished grandparent to her eight grandchildren, always making herself available to anyone who came through her door.

Rose was predeceased by her beloved husband Carlos, her brothers Enrique and Manolo Valcarce, and her infant son Enrique. She is lovingly remembered and survived by her sons Carlos (Dorothy), Antonio (Joy), and Alberto (Susan). Her legacy also lives on through her cherished grandchildren Ariana, Alec (Teresa), Olivia, Ana Rose, Carlos Samuel (Alexandra), Albert Joseph, Jon, and Isabella, as well as her treasured great-granddaughter, Liliana Rose, with another great-granddaughter on the way.

Rose's remarkable life and the profound impact she had on those around her will forever be cherished by her family and all who knew her.

A mass of christian burial for Dulce will be held Wednesday, January 31, 2024 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Christ the King Catholic Church, 821 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33629. Following the mass of christian burial will be a committal service from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Sunset Memory Gardens, 11005 N US 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592. Later that evening all are welcome to join the family for a Celebration of Life held from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Hotel Haya, 1412 E Seventh Ave, Tampa, FL 33605.