Rosalind Rosie Brickey

Rosie Brickey, 81, passed away on Friday, June 29, 2012 at Hospice of the Valley Coronado Home in Phoenix, AZ. She was born June 21, 1931, in Canoga Park, California to Charles and Hortencia Frayo Lugo.

She grew up between the Fresno Valley area and Yuma, traveling to meet the demands of her fathers' job as a ranch foreman. Rosie attended Yuma High School and was crowned as the "Jitter-Bug" Queen by her fellow classmates. Rosie married Robert "Bob" Brickey June 18, 1960. Together they co-owned and operated Yuma Automotive Electric. Rosie also worked many years as a meat wrapper for both Central Market and El Rancho Market. She loved gardening and spent every evening along side her husband working on their acreage. She raised numerous animals over her lifetime and especially loved her birds and dogs. She also enjoyed cooking and more recently shared her tamale recipe with close family and friends through an annual tamale making party.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Bob Brickey; son, Johnny (Kriss) Rico; daughter, Vivian Rico Graf; four grandchildren, Kari Rico Lofton, Louis Salazar (Laurel), Michael Salazar (Joanna), and Anita (William) Hawkins, and five great-grandchildren, Cassandra Salazar, Lashuna Hawkins, Jake Lofton, Tyrell Hawkins, and Leeya Salazar who she loved dearly all of Yuma, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her mother and father; brothers, Charles Luge Jr. and Gilbert Lugo.

Funeral Services will be held Friday at 10:00A.M., July 6, 2012 at Johnson Mortuary Chapel. Her final resting place will be at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in the Garden of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Yuma, Arizona. Pallbearers will be Louis Salazar, Michael Salazar, Ronnie Lugo, Danny Lugo, David Rico and Steve Rico.

When Rosalind Brickey walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Rosie was and how she impacted those around her. Rosie was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Rosie wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Rosie was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of Charlie and Hortencia Lugo. Rosie grew up between the Fresno Valley area in California and Yuma, Arizona. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Rosie might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Rosie was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Rosie was raised with two siblings. She had her brothers, Charles Jr. and Gilbert. Rosie was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Rosie was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Rosie well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

During her high school years, Rosie responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She was a graduated of Yuma High School. Rosie was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Rosie absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Rosie, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Rosie a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Rosie was crowned as the "Jitter-Bug" Queen by her fellow classmates.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Rosie was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Rosie was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, her beloved friend was Sophie Rico. Later she became friends with Ruthie Franco whom she worked with at El Rancho Market.

On June 18, 1960 Rosie married Robert (Bob) James Brickey. Rosie's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Bob's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Rosie was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Rosie was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Rosie, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Brickey home. Rosie's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Rosie was blessed with two children: son, Johnny and daughter, Vivian. They were also blessed with four Grandchildren and five Great Grandchildren, her grandchildren, Kari, Louis, Michael and Anita and her beloved Great Grandchildren, Cassandra Salazar, Lashuna Hawkins, Jake Lofton, Tyrell Hawkins and Leeya Salazar.

Rosie was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was Co-Owner of Yuma Automotive Electric. Rosie also worked as a meat wrapper. She was employed for many years at both Central Market and El Rancho Market. Rosie had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Rosie's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Rosie loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. For starters, her favorite pursuits were her rose plants and her love for animals especially birds and dogs. Rosie enjoyed getting dressed up and dancing. She enjoyed cooking for her family and friend. She loved to sit in her yard while taking in the view of her surroundings. Her family and extended family were very important to her and she always kept tabs on everyone. In her last few years, Rosie taught close family and friends her secrets to making the Best tamales in Yuma!! Rosie had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Rosie's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Rosie was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, especially her dog, Chevy, who was a best friend for some years.

Rosie Brickey passed away on June 29, 2012 at Hospice of the Valley - Coronado in Phoenix, Arizona. She is survived by husband of 52 years, Bob Brickey; son, Johnny (Kriss) Rico; daughter, Vivian Rico Graf; four grandchildren, Kari Rico Lofton, Louis Salazar (Laurel), Michael Salazar (Joanna), and Anita (William) Hawkins, and five great-grandchildren, Cassandra Salazar, Lashuna Hawkins, Jake Lofton, Tyrell Hawkins, and Leeya Salazar who she loved dearly all of Yuma, Arizona. Funeral Services were held at Johnson Mortuary Chapel in Yuma, Arizona. Rosie was laid to rest in Desert Lawn Memorial Park in the Garden of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Yuma, Arizona.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Rosie. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Rosie Brickey for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Rosie was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.