Rosa Elvira Ochoa

Rosa Elvira Ochoa was a warm hearted and happy individual, she was the “life of the party” and these wonderful traits came easily to her because she was such a sociable and amiable person, someone who was always making certain that those around her had whatever they needed. Rosa was a talkative person who was tactful but typically said what she meant.

Rosa was born at home in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. She was the daughter of Jose Inés Navarro and Maria de Jesus Cueva. Rosa was raised in Guadalajara, Tijuana, San Diego and National City. During her childhood she learned to be reliable. She was a child who wanted to win the favor of others and she found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of Rosa's personality throughout her life.

Though Rosa was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with her family, she was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. Rosa had the ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. She was raised with three siblings. She had a younger sister Maria Elena, a stepsister Teresa and stepbrother Robert. Rosa and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

As someone who reveled in the sheer joy of her experiences, Rosa was always enthusiastic about new adventures. One thing Rosa will certainly be remembered for is that, when she got up in the mornings, she was ready and raring to go. As a young girl, Rosa had a number of interests and was an active child. She loved children and her favorite pastime was babysitting. In middle school she took part in volleyball and basketball games.

For Rosa, the school routines were never a problem although she generally preferred variety to structure. She seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. Rosa was also adept at details. She was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. She graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1958. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Because of her ability to sing, her favorite class in high school was choir.

College can be a challenge, but Rosa appeared to be well equipped to succeed. She had a knack for staying focused and on track no matter what was going on around her. Rosa had the ability to work undisturbed through all of the constant interruptions that are a regular part of college life. Rosa enjoyed using the skills she'd already learned and applied them to new courses. She earned her AA in Teaching from Southwestern College. Her favorite course was Child Psychology.

There was one thing that all of Rosa's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that she was a happy person and a talker. She could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Rosa was such a popular person throughout her life. But Rosa was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. While she maintained personal standards and her own personal values, Rosa was very accepting of others. With a distinct skill for working things out, Rosa was often the person who would organize events. In fact, she was fairly comfortable playing the role of “host” for just about any occasion. When Rosa made friends, she made true and lasting friendships. During her high school years and later in life, she became friends with Hermelinda Venegas and Donna Drendel, friendships that lasted to today.

On March 19, 1960 Rosa married Michael Robert Ochoa at St Anthony's Church in National City, California. Caring, loving and devoted, Rosa worked hard to make her new life partner happy. Harmony was important to Rosa and she made every effort to maintain it with her family. Rosa was blessed with three children, Michael Jr, Robin, Linda and stepdaughter Dlise. They were also blessed with eight grandchildren; Paul Jr., Donnie, Robert, Mickey, Lynette, David, Gina and Derek. She was always conscious of the feelings of others in the family. As a result, she was quick to solve family disputes and did so without much fuss.

Taking her work seriously came naturally to Rosa, and she expected the same from those around her. She was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in her good communication skills. Rosa was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Rosa handled well. She could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” She loved children and her primary occupation was being a pre-school teacher. She brought harmony to her work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for her colleagues.

A methodical woman, Rosa enjoyed spending time working on her various hobbies. She had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that she could have something to show for her efforts. Her favorite pursuits were crafting, holiday decorating, sewing and knitting.

Her keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Rosa to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because she was outgoing and worked well with others, Rosa did her fair share of volunteer work. And she wouldn’t shy away from taking the lead on committees or events, either. In high school, Rosa was a member of the Sweetwater High School Choir and as an adult she was a member of the PTA at Otis, Kimball, Central Elementary and National City Middle School. A team mom for Lynette in cheerleading and assistant team mom for Michael Jr's pop warner team.

Her high moral standards and traditional values served Rosa well with her faith. Religion and faith were important to her. She was a member of St. Anthony's for 60 years, she was also a member of St. Mary's in National City and Our Lady of Grace in El Cajon. During that time, she was a catechist and Altar Coordinator for St. Anthony's. She was well respected because she was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner she could.

Not only did Rosa enjoy traveling, but she also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. She was a facilitator who could easily make up a near perfect schedule of all of the things to do and see. She rarely tired of going back and revisiting her favorite places. Favorite vacations included visiting relatives in Tecolotlán and Guadalajara, Jalisco, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, Hawaii and Alaska.

Since it was easy for Rosa to meet and get to know new people, she quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once she met those new friends, she loved sharing stories and talking about the good old days. Since she was practical and cost effective, Rosa was ready when that day to retire finally came in 2002. In retirement, she found new pleasure in volunteering at school and church. Even in retirement, Rosa stayed in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities that retirement offered her.

Rosa was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. Whenever she said something, she meant it. Rosa was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. She was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember her for most is the fact that she was a happy person, funny and kind. Everyone whose life she touched will miss Rosa Elvira Ochoa.

Rosa passed away on February 9, 2012 at home. She fought a brave battle against breast cancer. She is survived by her husband Michael, son Michael Jr., daughters Robin and Linda, and grandchildren Paul Jr., Donnie, Robert, Mikey, Lynette, Gina, David, Derek and two great-grandsons; Angelo and Francisco, sisters Nena and Tere and brother, Robert. Services were held at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Rosa was laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetery