Rosa Medranda

Rosa Mariana Giler de Medranda, beloved wife and devoted mother passed away on Thursday, January 30, 2014 after a battle with cancer. Born and raised in Ecuador, Rosa and her husband emigrated to Yonkers, New York as young newlyweds and spent the next 45 years as valued members of the Yonkers community, but always devoted to raising their two children.

Rosa followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, and began teaching in Ecuador at the age of 18. She spent 25 years as an elementary teacher for the bilingual programs in the Yonkers public schools. While part of the Eugenio Maria de Hostos Micro-Society school in Yonkers, she was featured as part of a Japanese TV documentary on excellence in the micro-society program. Before Rosa’s recent retirement she received a Teacher of the Year award.

A passionate teacher by vocation, she invested a great deal of care and time to her students, often coaxing great interest and effort out of students who needed to find a love of learning. Her own love of learning led her to seek Masters degrees from Long Island University, Mercy College and Lehman College, as well as invest in supporting local associations, such as LATYN, and the Association of Hispanic Professionals.

Rosa was a kind and gracious lady with a generous soul. She enjoyed travelling the world with her family, and spent many summers on local and tropical beaches. At home, she was happiest tending to her family (especially her grand children) listening to 60’s ballads (in English and Spanish), and reading. She loved dancing, cooking, and crocheting. She had a beautiful singing voice and a coy, sometimes piquant, sense of humor, which will be greatly missed by her family.

Rosa is survived by her devoted husband, Vicente; daughter and son-in-law, Alexandra and Aldrin; son and daughter-in-law, David and Theresa; granddaughters, Crystal and Amelia; her mother, Cefora Arelica; her Great Aunt, Licenia Salvatierra; her siblings, Enrique, Luis, Idalla, and Cecilia and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you support one of Rosa’s preferred Charities, such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the American Cancer Society.

Whalen & Ball Funeral Home

168 Park Ave.

Yonkers, N.Y. 10703

(914)965-5488

www.whalenandballfh.com