Rose Marie Torres

Rose Marie Torres, daughter of the late Leslie B. Johnson and Janice (Reinichen) Johnson, was born April 4, 1943. As a young girl, Rose grew up in the Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, Illinois. Rose was raised by the nuns, who her family, Sister Isabella was closest to her and made sure to always give her hugs. On February 14, 1974, Rose was united in marriage to Pedro A. Torres in Las Vegas, Nevada. They shared many wonderful memories and were blessed with two children: Rosemarie and Ana Miriam. Pedro passed away when the children were very young, which left Rose as a single mother to support her daughters on her own. Rose was a hardworking and self-less woman and spent over 40 years as a nurse, most notable as a rehabilitation nurse, she taught Alzheimer’s patients to walk and re-learn their daily life skills again. She loved nursing and helping people. Her patients loved her. She had a way with making everyone feel comfortable and safe. After retiring from nursing, Rose went back to the nursing homes as a volunteer. She taught the residents some of her favorite hobbies: making jewelry, origamis, and paper flowers. She enjoyed teaching others about the little things that brought her joy. In her spare time, Rose enjoyed watching movies, even if she didn’t like them and eating popcorn, no butter of course. She spent time reading from her large collection of books. The thing that brought her most joy was being involved in attending all of her grandkids’ activities and showing them, along with her own daughters, her favorite parts of the world. She told many stories and always remembered to securely wrap all of family gifts with extra tape, just to be safe. She loved her family tremendously and was proud of every single one of them and made sure to show her full love and support, even when some members were far away. Since Rose was raised by the nuns, the Catholic faith was instilled in her. She almost became a nun herself. During the first year out and realized that her true calling was to become a Nurse and have a family of her own. She was a very spiritual person and enjoyed speaking about her faith and spirituality. She loved the church and after moving to the Waynesville/St. Robert area, she began attending St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church. Although she was unable to attend church in the last two years of her life due to her health, she kept her faith strong. Rose passed away Monday, October 18, 2021 in her home, holding the hand of her daughter at the age of 78. She will be profoundly missed and fondly remembered by all of those whom she impacted and loved dearly. Rose leaves to cherish her memory, her two children: Rosemarie Torres (Maurice Clay) of Waynesville, MO, and Ana Miriam Hay (Tommy Hay, Jr.) of Waynesville, MO; six grandchildren: Ananay Maria Marichal, Jonathan Jose Martinez, Jasmine Elizabeth Martinez, Tommy Hay III, Kyler Hay, and Peyton Hay; three great grandchildren: Alex Jadiel Velez, Aiden Deevani Velez, and Zeyla Yanis Davis; two brothers: Guy Kaplowitz (Patti) of Gilberts, IL; and James “Jimmy” Lloyd Johnson. one sister: Shirley Martin (David Martin) of the state of California; several other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents and husband, Rose was preceded in death by one brother, James. Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Rose Torres and may be left at Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert.

Rose Marie Torres

April 4, 1943 - October 18, 2021