Rosa Francisca Chinea Rodriguez

Dr. Rosa Francisca Chirino Chinea Rodríguez (our mother and our grandmother) A mother/grandmother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, a doctor, a friend, a volunteer, overall a fun human being to be around…. An 86 years young woman resident of Oxnard California for the last 11 years has left us. She was born in Habana, Cuba, on June 4th, 1923 – and died in Camarillo, California, on January 24th, 2010 has left her life legacy to us on earth. Please Join Us In Celebrating her life. She was the daughter of José Chirino and Amelia Castillo natural from Cuba. She was first married to her beloved husband Rolando Juan Chinea Castillo and Electrical Engineer who was very prominent in his field. Rosa was a widower at a very young age when they had only after being out nine months from the political environment in Cuba where they had relocated to the Island of Puerto Rico after they had left Madrid, Spain. She raised her only child Rolando Chinea Chirino in Puerto Rico on her own and provided him with the love to life and enthusiasm that she had always for life. Rosa had a doctorate in medical arts specializing in the field of Orthodontics and Dentistry. She was always proud in sharing her knowledge and her expertise in the technology of correcting dental work with braces. She was a pioneer in this field in the Island of Caribbean, name Cuba. Once they were settled in the Island she decided to go back to school and got another degree in the area of Public Health and acquired a Masters in Public Health with emphasis in Maternal Child Health where she became the Deputy Director of this specialized services in the Island of Puerto Rico providing services to the general population that needed the so much the services. She got awards after awards and recognition for the labor and work that she implemented for the benefits of the health of the unborn and their mothers. She advocated for access to care and implemented very innovative programs to do the outreach to underserved communities. She loved to travel and most of all she loved knitting and crocheting. She loved going to church and she love helping people in need. One of her passions was to run the food and clothing pantry for the poor in the her parish when she retired in the city of Sebring, Florida with her late husband Ramon Rodriguez a prominent business man. Eleven years ago her son and his family asked her to move forward to the State of California since we notice the first stages of a disease call Alzheimer’s thus taking her from us and loosing the part of her cognitive capabilities. Even thou she was on the first stages she was still functional and was able to work and volunteer in the area where she devoted many years in helping the community health education department at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in the city of Oxnard as a professional volunteer where she helped with putting packets of materials together, feeding the poor at Christ the King Catholic Church Food Pantry, health fairs and outreach activities. She also started a knotting and crocheting group to teach youngsters an art that is almost lost. Also she implemented with the help of St. John’s staff a literacy program to teach people how to read and write Spanish. She is survived by her only and beloved son Rolando Chinea Chirino, an electronic and electrical engineer with the Department of Defense at Point Mugu her daughter in law Gloria Massey Chinea, who is in private business, her grandchildren, Roseairol Chinea (29 y/o) and her soon to become her husband Michael Shawver who both resides in Alburqurque New Mexico, her youngest grandchild Gloria Michelle Chinea Berghoefer (25 y/o) and her husband Bryan Eric Berghoefer who reside in the City of Ventura. Both of her grandchildren are very accomplished Roseairol has a Masters in Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and Gloria Michelle is an accountant with a local firm. Also Rosa is survived by Georgina Chirino, her sister that resides in Puerto Rico, she has a doctorate in Special Education and her youngest brother Alberto Chirino that resides in Miami Florida a very distinguished business man. Rosa was the inspiration for Gloria and Rolando to develop a residential Care facility for the elderly in the city of Oxnard named Alma Joy Villa RCFE. She is preceded in death by her parents Amelia and Jose, her beloved husband Rolando Chinea Castillo and Ramon Rodriguez, her sister Dr. Josefina Chirino, an accomplished OB GYN in Florida, her oldest brother Armando Chirino and accomplished business man and accountant (CPA). Her family, the Chinea-Massey Family wants to extend the gratitude to all of you for the loving attributes and care that you always had for her, and for understanding a disease like what Alzheimer’s is. We appreciated every moment of laughter, smile and joy you shared with her and she shared with you. We want to extend our gratitude to all health care professionals for the caring behaviors that you demonstrated in her short illness. Thanks and God Bless. We know angels are waiting for us in heaven