Rozina Salazar Mortensen

It is with profound sadness, but also with joy in the promise of eternal life, that we announce the passing of Rozina Salazar Mortensen, who entered into the Lord’s care peacefully on August 30, 2025, at 10:07 p.m. at the Medical Center of the Rockies. She passed due to complications from a systemic infection that affected her heart and body. Though she is no longer with us in person, Rozina remains with us in spirit—watching over us with her radiant smile.

Rozina was born on November 15, 1954, in Raton, New Mexico, to Jose A. Salazar and Eleanor Salazar. She was proud of her heritage as Navajo, Apache, and Spaniard, and carried her culture with honor throughout her life. She attended Longfellow Elementary (1960–1966), Raton Junior High (1967–1968), and later La Junta High School after her family moved to Colorado in 1969. At just 16, she graduated early through the Job Corps program, earning her high school diploma.

In 1974, Rozina married Robert Leroy Cordova (deceased 1977). Together they welcomed their first child, Crystal Lenore (August 10, 1974). They later had a son, Vincent Lee, in 1977, who tragically passed away at only seven months old. After enduring the loss of her son, her husband, her mother, and her mother-in-law in quick succession, Rozina demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength, moving forward with courage.

She later pursued higher education and graduated in 1989 with bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting. Her professional life was diverse and dedicated—she worked in banking, as a dental assistant, with H&R Block as a tax specialist, and eventually retired in 2015 after serving as an administrative assistant for the Federal Government.

On July 6, 1996, Rozina married her beloved husband Jeffrey Scott Mortensen, and in 1998, they were blessed with their daughter Arielle Jezina. Together, they built a life filled with love, family, and adventure.

Rozina’s passions were many. She loved hiking the Colorado trails, listening to meadowlarks, fishing with Jeff, singing with her beautiful voice, and dancing—though often joking about Jeff’s “two left feet.” A talented seamstress, she created professional-quality costumes without patterns, relying only on her imagination and skill. She also had a gift for carpentry, building decks and even a treehouse for Arielle and her friends. She was a Super Broncos fan who had her husband paint the Broncos logo on her pregnant belly for the 1998 Super Bowl. Fearless and fiercely independent, Rozina never hesitated to take on new challenges.

Her family and friends will forever remember her warm smile, playful spirit, and loving embrace. She was known for her kindness, her deep hugs, her mathematical brilliance, her love of cooking (especially her award-winning Hatch Green Chili), and her joy in gathering loved ones for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Above all, Rozina was a woman of faith. A devoted Christian, she attended Abundant Life Tabernacle church. She studied scripture daily and lived her life as a witness to God’s love. Her favorite verses included Romans 8:28—“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”—along with Psalms 23 and 91.

Rozina is survived by her loving husband Jeffrey Mortensen, her daughters Crystal Lamarr and Arielle Mortensen, her cherished fur babies, Uma and Maya, and her Granddoggers; as well her sister Antonia Salazar, her beloved nephews and nieces, and many friends and extended family, who will always carry her memory in their hearts.

She now rests in peace with the Lord, reunited with her son Vincent, her parents, Jeff’s parents and many loved ones who have gone before.

We will miss you dearly, Rozina—but your love, laughter, infectious smile and faith will live on within us forever.

A Celebration of Rozina's Life will be held on Saturday, September 6th, 2025 at 2pm at the home of Tracy Belden, 1464 Katie Drive, Loveland, CO 80537.

Treasured memories of Rozina and words of condolence for her family are welcome at resthavencolorado.com.