Rose Ann Barba

Rose Ann Barba, my wife and best friend for the past 27 years, passed away on March 1, 2026. She lived with and fought cancer since 2007, but she chose to never play the victim. She would roll her eyes hearing me describe her as incredibly strong, brave, and inspiring, but that is what she was to myself and many others. It is impossible to sum up what she was in a few paragraphs, but here are a few words about her and some of the things she loved.

Born in El Paso Texas, to loving parents Anna and Rodolfo Barba, Rose was raised along side five siblings: Rudy, her protective eldest brother. Annette, her arch enemy sister, turned biggest supporter. Gabriel, her brother that helped start her love of baking. Patricia, her childhood partner in crime. And Andrew, her youngest and most comedic brother. She loved them all. The Barba’s are a strong family, rooted in the Catholic faith. Rose attended Catholic school before attending Austin High School and eventually UT El Paso. She was quiet about religion, but her faith was always there. Rose would often quote her father, saying “without God, you are nothing.” She took that to heart, carrying a prayer with a similar sentiment in her pocket every day.

She loved the El Paso mountains, climbing like a mountain goat with or without her beloved Jeep. She loved fireworks, never passing up an opportunity to spend way too much money to light up the evening sky. She fondly remembered family get togethers on the fourth of July in the El Paso desert. She would fly kites on windy days, describing how she loved the way the kite pulled on the string. She loved to research the birds that would visit our house, capturing the songs on her phone so she could find out more about them. She loved dogs, especially her favorite, named “Trouble.” An OES mix. She smuggled Trouble into the family home, keeping him for months before her Father finally found out. Eventually Trouble became “his dog,” though she was still responsible for cleaning up after him.

Raised in an athletic family, Rose had a very competitive nature and loved sports. She carried the family torch, supporting the Boston Celtics and Dallas Cowboys, however good or bad they may be playing. In recent years, she had also become a strong supporter of UT Austin volleyball and basketball. Never missing a game by choice. Last year she asked for a basketball for Mother’s day, nicknaming him Wilson, so she could shoot baskets in our front yard after work. She loved the simple things.

Rose worked in advertising, first as a graphic designer and then moving into a sales position. She visited her brother Gabriel in Austin and decided to move here when the opportunity presented itself. We met in Austin as coworkers, continuing to work together for our entire marriage. Something I am very thankful for. After a quick courtship, we brought our wonderful son Shawn into the world. She was so proud of what a gentle and hard working person he had become. Never missing a chance to brag about him. When he was young he requested a cake shape liked a firetruck. That sparked her side hustle, a home bakery, making cakes and cookies. She became a yearly part of the families she baked for. Never tiring of how excited the kids would get seeing their cake requests come to life.

She loved to cook. Ever curious about how something might taste. She would often pass up a favorite dish to taste something new, perhaps becoming her new favorite. She had many childhood stories that involved food. She could recreate many of her mother and fathers family recipes. There were favorite El Paso eateries, Track One, Rosco’s Burgers, Chicos, but The Italian Kitchen and Italian food in general, was her favorite. She loved coffee. White chocolate mocha, no whipped cream, no foam, one pump peppermint syrup with white chocolate mocha sauce. She loved M&M’s and Oreo cookies, each eaten with its own ritualistic process.

She loved Christmas lights. She would put so many lights up you could see a glow over the hill long before you could see our house. We would keep them up year round inside. Her happy place was the beach, any beach. It was one of the few times Rose would willingly wake up early. She would catch the sunrise and then spend hours walking the shoreline, looking for seashells. Primarily sand dollars, which would elude her the entire trip. Somehow I would manage to find one, presenting it to her for the team victory. She would get so excited.

Rose loved music. She would play it far too loud in her car and sing at full volume. Her favorite song was Moondance by Van Morrison. Turn that one up when you hear it and sing along for her, volume being more important than being pitch correct.

All that being said, she loved her family and friends the most. Always seeming to give more than she would receive. For those that knew her, please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She would want you to live your life to the fullest. Live with joy, curiosity and a fierce competitive spirit. She would ask that you keep God, your family and your friends close. In the end, they are what matter the most.

My heart aches as I write this. I thank God for the time we had together, even though I selfishly wish we had more. My love, as you would always have me recite, “Usted es la amor de mi vida.” - Your Husband Shawn (aka “Love”)

There will be a mass held in Roses honor. Contact our family for more information.