Rose Theresa Desira

Rose Theresa Desira (Dimech), age 90, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2025 in Claremont, California. She was the last and oldest surviving child of Carmelo and Josephine Dimech’s 7 children. Rose was born in Mosta, Malta, and lived there until 1966 when she emigrated to the United States.

Rose’s childhood was wrought with many challenges. In 1940, when Rose was only 5 years old, the island of Malta, then a British possession, had entered World War II. During multiple air raids on the island Rose and her family were often forced to retreat to neighborhood bomb shelters for days at a time. In 1942 the people of Malta were collectively awarded Britain’s highest civilian honor, the George Cross, for their bravery under extreme wartime conditions. Rose and her family were proud recipients of this award. Later, she lost her mother at only 17 years of age, and this unimaginable loss had a profound impact on who she was to become and how important family was to her well-being.

Rose met her future husband, Michael Desira, in her early 20’s in her native Malta. They eventually married in 1958, started a family, and remained on the island for the next 8 years. In the summer of 1966, Rose, her husband Mike and 3 of their children, Joseph, Charlie, and Catherine, received the call that they had been waiting for. After a 13 year wait, Rose and her family were selected to be a part of a group of 100 to emigrate to the United States. Once there, Rose would join her 6 siblings Dominic, Paul, Jean, Angelo, Joseph and Manuel. They arrived in New York on September 3, 1966, and continued on to the San Francisco Bay Area where 4 of her 6 siblings resided. With the kind help of her family, they eventually settled in the city of South San Francisco. There they would raise their family, in addition to welcoming a fourth child, Jeff.

Rose was employed by Macy’s and worked at the central warehouse in San Francisco where she enjoyed a certain level of independence and made lifelong friends. She would remain at Macy's for approximately 20 years. She and her husband Mike eventually retired to Santa Rosa and later moved to the Palm Springs area in 2012 to be closer to family. They remained committed to each other until Mike’s death in December 2020, after 62 years of marriage.

Throughout her life, Rose was the glue that held her family together. She faced life’s challenges and adversities with an unusual combination of soft composure and a grit that seemed unstoppable. There was no situation that Rose could not tackle as her wisdom and life experiences were many. Rose’s pastimes included gardening, playing Bingo with her friends, watching TV comedies and making pastizzi for friends and family. Rose will be lovingly remembered for her deep Catholic faith, her kindness and zest for life, and her unwavering dedication and love for her children. In addition to her children, Rose was blessed with 6 grandchildren, and they were a source of great joy in her life.

Rose is survived by her four children Joseph (Barbara, son Christian and daughters Kayla and Elizabeth); Charles, Catherine (Joseph, and sons Lucas and Ryan); and Jeff (daughter Alizabeth). She is also survived by her many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly and enjoyed watching grow into adulthood.

Family and friends will gather at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in La Quinta, California for a memorial service on January 15, 2026, commencing at 10:00 am. Her final resting place will be at the Mosta Cemetery in her native village of Mosta, Malta.