Rosario Duarte Studer

Born in Manila, Philippines to Rafael Duarte y Guevara and Justa Teresa y del Moral of Spain who had emigrated to the Philippines to start a lumber business, Rosario retained fond memories of growing up in the company of her six brothers and sisters. Her upbringing instilled in her a life-long faith in God and love for others. The third eldest of a close-knit family, she kept in touch with all of her siblings and their extended families throughout their lives with letters, phone calls, and occasional trips to the Philippines and Spain, which she delighted in. While in Manila she attended St. Teresa’s College and was an active and well-known member of the younger Spanish community.

In April of 1941 while working as a bank manager of a local bank, she met 1st Lt. Robert W Studer who had been recently stationed at Fort William McKinley, near Manila. He knocked on the bank door after hours in order to cash a check and Rosario told him to come back the next day, which he did, and then a number of times after that, each time asking her for a date. She finally agreed and on their first date, at a dance, they were both smitten…with a love that lasted over 71 years.

Their engagement was announced in September, with plans for a Christmas wedding. Those plans were shattered by the December 8th Japanese invasion of the Philippines. While Robert deployed to Bataan, was captured, and spent the remainder of the war in prisoner of war camps in the Philippines and Japan, Rosario and her family endured years of hardship and horrors in occupied Manila. She and several of her family were wounded during the retaking of that city in February 1945. Through it all she prayed constantly for the safe return of Robert.

Her prayers were answered that September when, while checking for news of Robert at the Red Cross station in Manila, her brother Martin arrived in a carriage to tell her that Robert had arrived at their home looking for his Spanish beauty. As Rosario has told the story, the horse was too slow so she jumped out of the carriage and ran home ahead of her brother and into Robert’s arms. They were married a week later on 6 October 1945 in the Chapel of Santo Tomas University in Manila. Rosario wore a wedding dress made for her by her sister, Marichu, and a floral headband of the fragrant Sampaguita jasmine. The newly weds cut their wedding cake with Robert’s West Point saber, which had been buried during the war years for safekeeping.

Rosario left her family and childhood home to start her life with Robert in the United States. Their marriage was a bedrock for their four children, providing love, stability, and a faith in God. As an Army wife Rosario created and maintained family and homes in a series of duty assignments taking them to New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico, Kansas, Virginia, Spain, France, Rhode Island, and Colombia, S.A. She was active in women’s groups, taught Spanish in elementary school, and became a Red Cross volunteer.

Following retirement from the Army, Robert and Rosario settled in Thousand Oaks, CA in 1969 where Rosario became active in several church groups and activities at St Paschal Baylon Catholic Church, worked as a florist, practiced her beautiful calligraphy, honed her bridge and cribbage skills, gardened, traveled, and cooked her fabulous Spanish paella and omeletes. Her life centered around her family, her friends, her faith, and her incredible prayer life. At age 85, after returning from a visit to Spain, Rosario suffered a severe stroke that left her partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. Her grit, resilience, and positive outlook through her convalescence and struggle to regain mobility, was an inspiration to all and a testament to her strong faith. For fifteen years while being cared for at home by Robert, her daughter, Maria, and caregivers, she continued, with happiness, her ties with family, friends, and church, and many of her former pastimes.

Rosario spent the last six years of her life at Mary Health of the Sick Skilled Nursing Home in Newbury Park, Ca. While there she enjoyed her daily routine of morning Mass, listening to music, strolls in the garden to smell the roses, afternoon and evening Rosaries, visits from friends and family, daily phone conversations with her children, and cherished time spent with Maria and granddaughter Lydia.

Her passing brings sadness that is lightened by the knowledge that she is now with her Savior, her beloved Bob, and her cherished daughter Rita Maria. She will always be remembered as our “prayer warrior.” Her smile, encouraging words and prayers, and her unconditional love have blessed and sustained all who knew her, especially her children; we love you mucho, Mom, “como la trucha al trucho!”

Rosario was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-seven years and love of her life, Robert, her daughter Rita, her parents, brothers Martin, Rafael, and Adolfo, and sisters Marichu, Pepita, and Manolita. She is survived by her three children Eugene (Nancy), Mark (Nancy), and Maria (John), her son-in-law Doug Dudley, nine grandchildren Jennifer (Pete), Matt (Kari), Marah (Sebastian), Sean (Natalie), Heather, Daniel, Linda (David), Mary Ann (Caleb), and Lydia, and fourteen great-grandchildren Alex, Owen, Emily, John, Max, Ellery, Vivian, Milo, Cora, Hudson, Ranger, Faith Ana, Robert, and Hugo, sisters-in-law, Betty Duarte, Edna Studer, and Claire Studer, and many, many, beloved nieces and nephews.

Her family gratefully acknowledges and thanks Rosario’s many relatives and friends throughout the world, residents, nuns, and staff at Mary Health of the Sick, and her special caregivers Karen, Suzanna, and Noemi for their love, friendship, care and support for her through the years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St Jude’s Catholic Church, Westlake Village, CA at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 8th, preceded by a Rosary at 1:30 pm and followed by a burial service at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, CA. A family celebration of life will be held later at home.

Rosario held a special place in her heart for the poor and hungry of the world. In lieu of flowers please consider giving generously to your local food shelf.