Rosa Bate, passed away November 30th from incidences related to age and from a broken heart, just 10 days after celebrating her 82nd birthday.
Rosa was born on November 20, 1936 in Armenia, Colombia, the daughter of Jose Obdulio Restrepo and Maria Cano. She grew up and attended catholic school in and around Periera, Colombia.
In July of 1974 she met 2 LDS missionaries and that encounter changed the entire trajectory of her life. She read and gained a strong testimony of the Book and Mormon and was baptized in the River Consota on April 13th 1975. She had a tremendous and unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ and was devoutly faithful and obedient throughout her life, often through very difficult circumstances. She was immediately called as Primary President in her branch, a calling that she loved and held on at least 2 separate occasions, among many other callings throughout her life. She served a full-time mission to Cali Colombia in 1982-1983 and another full-time mission in the Santiago Chile Temple in 1986-1987. Shortly after completing that mission, she had a strong desire to find a way to live near a temple and ultimately came to the United States. She enrolled in school on a student visa, studied English and worked many jobs to get by, including cleaning houses and working at Cummings Studio Chocolates. Rosa loved chocolate! She made many friends and Salt Lake quickly became home to her. She was called to be a Salt Lake Temple worker in March of 1993 and it was a calling that she faithfully fulfilled for nearly 2 decades. She had a deep love of the temple and considered her service in the temple one of the great blessings of her life.
In August of 1999, a friend introduced her to Kenneth Bate and after a short courtship, they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on January 24, 2000. They had many wonderful years together, serving in the temple, visiting museums and art galleries and enjoying their twilight years. Ken passed away on April 3, 2014 and she has missed him every day since.
Rosa was a gifted artist and painter, her home an art gallery of her own beautiful works. She was a talented seamstress, an avid student of the scriptures, and an amazing and inspiring faithful woman of God. All who knew her were better because of it. She was witty, feisty and stubborn, but equally tenderhearted, kind and lovely. She loved Wendy's, cutie oranges, real Coke and chocolate of any kind. She adored her beloved companion, a teacup yorkie, Tommy. He was a faithful and loyal companion to her these past two years of declining health and his recent loss was more than she could bear. We continue to pray for his safe return.
Rosa is survived by two sisters, Olga and Lucia. She also leaves behind the Johnson family who loved her and are grateful that she allowed them and their children to become her adopted family, Chris, Kim, Leah, Charley and Mary. She also leaves behind many other dear friends and neighbors who loved her and cared for her and Ken over the years. She was preceded in death by her parents, her dear husband, a brother Fransisco and sister Perla.
We wish to extend our love and appreciation to Gabby and Jantzen Egan, who lovingly served her and helped her these past few years. And we also extend our appreciation to Kalai, Annie and Kim, her home health care workers that tenderly and kindly cared for Rosa these past 6 months. We are especially thankful for their kind and compassionate care in contrast to others whose care was so terribly disappointing.
Funeral services will be held on Friday December 7th at 11:00am at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary, 2350 East 1300 South SLC. A visitation will be held prior to the funeral from 10:00am-10:45am. Interment to follow at Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, we humbly ask that you extend extra kindness to someone who is lonely, sad or in need this holiday season. Rosa would delight in knowing that an abundance of kind acts and good deeds were being rendered in her name.
Te Amamos our dear abuelita!
