Rose Amesquita

Rose Amesquita

Rose Amesquita

Rose M. Amesquita or as we use to call her “PASADENA ROSE” was born on a Summer Friday, June 7, 1929, right here in Pasadena, California. She came into the world at home in a little house on Glen Street. Her parents were Miguel Casarez and Carlotta Avila from La Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico. She was first generation Mexican-American with European lineage Spanish, French and German. Rose had two younger siblings Ralph M. Casarez and Ida Tereasa Vasquez who are now both deceased, were all raised in the “City of Roses”.

Rose was 95 years young when she passed away peacefully, with her two younger children Sean and Yvonne by her side, in her home April 23, 2025. Rose raised four children, eldest daughter Carolyn Rose Jaramillo Fortney, eldest son, Joseph Anthoney Jaramillo Zair (who has been deceased since May 1, 2016), with first husband.

Later in her life she remarried to Robert Lee Amesquita and they had daughter Yvonne Denise Amesquita Pane and son Robert Sean Amesquita.

Her late husband Robert Lee Amesquita was 86 years old when he passed away 9 months ago, on July 25, 2024. Bob and Rose celebrated 62 years of marriage together. Bob was also known in the City of Pasadena for his wire and metal business making wire display racks for all products among other things. It was called AMESQUITA Manufacturing Company that he ran for more than 40 years.

Rose and Bob are survived by eight grandchildren: Richard Albert Loayza, David Anthony Loayza, Ryan Maurice Fortney (deceased on March 15, 2018), Phillip Gregory Fortney, and Yara Nicte Herrarte. Along with grandsons Jack Robert Pane, Jared Vincent Pane and grand-daughter-in-law Cynthia Soto Pane and youngest granddaughter Danielle Rose Pane. And two great grandsons, Ayden and Colin Fortney.

Rose was very family-oriented, always helping each family member the best way she could, with love and encouragement. She contributed with raising her nieces and nephews while living with her late parents. Aunt Rose or Nonie was a true care giver and always wanted to make sure all the children in the family had their needs met.

She was bilingual speaking, writing, and reading both in English and in Spanish. She was very helpful to her parents Mike and Charlotte with interpreting for them before they were American citizens. She wanted to give back to them for helping her raise her first two children, Carolyn and Joey.

Rose worked throughout her life, starting out at the banks as a teller. She realized that she loved working with people. She made her made her way as a retail clerk for the number of grocery stores and markets throughout the Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley. She started out at Borman’s Market on Fair Oaks and Orange Grove Blvd working in the meat department. She moved on to work at The Market Basket, The Pantry, Vons and Pavilions. She was a Shop Stewart for the Retail Clerks Union Local 770. Rose worked both as a checker at the checkout stand and the store bookkeeper. Rose made her mark at The Pantry on Foothill Blvd. in the Hastings Ranch Shopping Center. She was a “people” person for sure, always greeting her customs with her big smile and making sure they shopped for all their needs. Rose during an interview by the Sierra Madre Newspaper reporter was quoted as saying about her customers:

“It’s fun to take the time to really listen to people or notice and find that individual something. That’s the way I feel about my customers.”

Rose worked for most of The Pantry Markets in the greater San Gabriel areas. She spent several years at the Arcadia store on Golden West. VONS Markets purchased The Pantry sometime in the 1980’s so she continued her career with VONS and The Pavilions.

Rose did take time to enjoy her younger grandchildren and visit them while they lived back east. She also went to Hawaii a few times with relatives. Her family spent a few summers in Ensenada, Mexico and one summer she took her mother Charolotte to visit family in Jalapa, Vera Cruz in Mexico.

Rose was pretty much great at everything she did. Not only was she a great cook and baker, but she also always managed to make the holidays very special for all her family, while working a fulltime job. In the mid 1970’s she took up ceramics as a form of therapy after her father Mike died, 50 years ago. She loved it, Rose found her true creative self while working with her hands. She worked with greenware, shaping, painting and glazing beautiful pieces she would share with family and friends. She was so good, that sometime in the early 1990’s she started China painting porcelain pieces. Her work was true art, she specialized in painting flowers, roses specifically. When at home she would practice her strokes for making her flowers. She also made magnificent religious statues of Mary, Jesus and angels, she loves painting her angels. One time she made a very special midsize statue of the Infant of Prague and donated it to a local church for their religious store. One Sunday after church, Bob and Rose went into the store after mass, they overheard the clerk there trying to sale Rose’s statue to another customer. He said, with a straight face “You see the artist singed this statue and it comes from Italy”. Rose and her husband, just giggled as they left the store.

Rose took her first retirement in 1995 after her grandson Jack was born, but only a few years later she went back to work part time at Sears and at the Fair Oaks Carwash where she spent 10 years working as a cashier there. She greeted customers that remembered her from her supermarket days, everyone from old timers and their kids recalled Rose and her smile after all those years.

It was only after her late son Joseph passed away, a year later she finally retired in 2017. She was 88 years old. Rose always had a great work ethic and would have preferred to work until she died.

Rose was a dedicated Catholic, her Churches were Our Lady of Guadalupe, St, Andrew’s, St. Elizabeth and Sacred Heart in Altadena. She volunteered at St. Andrew’s School teaching CCD religious studies to the First Communion students. Rose and Bob also enjoyed working the polls during election years. They felt like it was their patriotic duty and plus it was just fun meeting and seeing folks that they knew throughout the years.

Rose M. Amesquita was everybody’s “MOM”. She had own kids, her niece and nephew kids, her grand kids, as well as her work kids. She loved unconditionally with compassion for everyone, especially for those that needed it the most.

She will be greatly missed, may she rest in peace as she joins her husband Bob, her son Joseph, her grandson Ryan, her beloved parents and the rest of her family that went before her.

Rose M. Amesquita, Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Cousin and Friend will be celebrated:

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 with a Rosary from (5-7) at Cabot and Sons: 27 Chestnut Street Pasadena, Ca. 91103

Friday, May 23, 2025, Funeral Mass to be held at 11:00am at St. Andrews Catholic Church: 311 N. Raymond Ave. Pasadena, Ca. 91103

Burial to follow Mass at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery: 966 Potrero Grande Drive Rosemead, Ca. 91770

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