Rosario T Perez-Guerra

Rosario Teresa Fernández de Pérez-Guerra was greeted by her family in heaven on October 25, 2022, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Rosario was born on the island of Puerto Rico on September 21, 1936. Her 86 years of life were underscored by a brilliant commitment to family and friends and highlighted by a special bond with her 10 grandchildren.

Her early life in Puerto Rico can best be described as simple but the household where she and her brother, Enrique, were raised was filled with the love of her parents, Enrique and Rosario. It was in her early teens that a certain soon-to-be physician saw her at a party, admired her beauty, and set in motion what would become a 62-year marriage. A motivated student, she graduated from Sacred Heart College in 1956 and became a professor of Mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. During her college years, her romance with Francisco (Frank) Perez-Guerra flourished and after he graduated from medical school in 1960, they married.

A relocation to Wayne, Michigan for Frank to begin his internship also served as the beginning of the family she adored. Twins, Enrique and Francisco (Henry and Frank) were born in 1961. At the height of the Berlin Crisis, Francisco was “asked” to join the Air Force and a relocation to Charleston, South Carolina ensued. Her third son, David, was born during their time there. Another military relocation occurred shortly thereafter, and they arrived in Denver, Colorado where Francisco completed his Residency in Internal Medicine at Fitzsimons Army Hospital. In 1965, Rosario was born, and the family was complete. There were subsequent relocations to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska and Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. During her time in San Antonio, she briefly rekindled her love of teaching and served as a substitute teacher and tutor.

In 1974, Francisco left military service and joined the medical team at Gundersen Clinic/Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In her own words, she described this time as, “busy years with children’s school and after school activities,” and for those that knew her well, helped her refine the skills for the Grandma Taxi and Child Care Service that she so loved beginning with the birth of her first Texas based grandson. She cherished the years in Wisconsin and the friendships that blossomed during that time persisted until her final breath.

In 1983, she and Frank made their final relocation to Temple, Texas where he joined the medical team at Scott & White, now Baylor Scott & White. Her life in Temple was as it was everywhere she lived. She was active, caring, and invested in making the lives of her friends and the community she called home a better place. Rosario was a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Bell County Medical Alliance, the Cultural Activities Center, the Temple Symphony, Saint Luke Church Women’s Society, and PEO International.

Rosario’s spare time was filled with family activities, reading, tennis (in which her wicked slice strokes drove her opponents crazy), embroidery and cross stitching, and cooking. It was this final spare time activity that her family would like to recognize. Self-taught and with an innate sense of the finer details of cuisine, Rosario was a master in the kitchen. The sound of an old pressure cooker and the aromas of her creations let anyone that walked into her home know that some world class cooking was on its way. Like all things in her life, it was the love she brought to the kitchen that made everything better. All of her children and many of her friends that attempted to recreate her recipes agree, even when these recipes were followed to the letter, that the Rosario magic could not be replicated.

Rosario leaves behind her husband of 62 years, Francisco, M.D., and her four children – Enrique (Jill), Francisco (Trisha), David (Leslie), and Rosario, Ph.D. (Michael Andrew). Rosario adored her 8 grandchildren – David Alexander, Daniel, Melissa, Carlie, Margaret, Casey, Rosario, and Mariah, 2 step grandchildren (Andrew, Erica) and 4 great grandchildren (Lola, Quinton, Theodore, Thomas).

Rosario was preceded in death by her brother, Enrique Fernandez, her parents (Enrique and Rosario), and her grandson, Michael John Montgomery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests support of the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org), Gundersen Medical Foundation, or Baylor Scott & White Hospice. We are eternally grateful for the care and concern they provided for our beloved Rosario during the final months of her life.