Rosanna Yolanda Alcala

Rosanna Y. Alcala passed away in Asheville on March 2, 2024, at the age of 71 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Her life was better measured in impact than in years lived. The world was a better place for having Rosanna in it, and the void left by her absence can now be felt by those who were lucky enough to have known and loved her. She was a selfless, generous, kind-hearted, free-spirited, intelligent woman who loved life, and excelled at wringing every drop of joy from it that she could. Her spirit and energy were infectious, and those who loved her will forever be grateful for all the light she brought into their lives. Rosanna was born on January 15, 1953, in Berkeley, California, to Ramiro Alcala, an immigrant from Mexico, and Mary Lou Arellano, a Bay Area native. Named after her mother’s favorite flower, she was the eldest of five girls and loved her four (4) sisters dearly. She spent her formative years in Oakland attending Catholic schools: St. Jarlath’s and Bishop O’Dowd High School. She excelled academically and won awards in writing and speaking, which allowed her to be the first in her family to pursue higher education. For her undergraduate degree, she attended St Mary’s College, breaking the glass ceiling by being in the first class of women allowed to enroll. Later, she received an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Her professional mission was the same as her personal mission, to help people and to leave the world a better place than she found it. Through the years she worked at schools helping students to pursue their dream education and at companies helping adults find fulfilling careers. She found true enjoyment in assisting others and offering them a leg-up in their own future. In 1979, she married Stephen R. Lee over Memorial Day Weekend after five (5) years of dating, and they shared fifty (50) happy years together. In 1987, Rosanna and Steve started a family giving birth to a lovely girl and another in 1990. She was an incredible mother who always made sure her daughters, Stephanie, and Jessica, knew her love, support, and guidance were unconditional. Having Rosanna as the family matriarch was an honor and created a family dynamic built on her own tenets of life, warmth, empathy, and above all love. Rosanna had several interests, including gardening, a love that was inherited from her parents and reflected her desire to nurture and create beauty in this world. She had a passion for cooking and hosting dinners, pouring that same care into her meals and conversations. She also loved to travel and learn about other cultures, she was fortunate enough to see a lot of the world including The Great Pyramids of Giza, The Great Wall of China, Cuba, Aztec Ruins, Africa’s Big 5, and the list goes on. Last, but certainly not least, two of Rosanna’s greatest loves were Elvis and chocolate. Her passing is a devastation to the many people who knew and loved her. By them, she will be remembered for her compassionate spirit and fun-loving nature. Her true legacy was her bravery, her resilience, her selflessness, her humor, and the many people whose lives she touched. She is survived by her husband Stephen, her daughter Jessica [husband Joseph], her granddaughter Anastasia [parents Tommy and Candi] , her sisters Eva, Lorena [husband Richard], Debra, and Cassandra, half-sisters Judith, Rebecca, and Marisol, nieces Valerie, and Genevieve, and nephews Adam, Grant, and Gregor. A celebration of life will be held in early Summer and all friends and family will be notified.

Rosanna Yolanda Alcala

January 15, 1953 - March 2, 2024