Rosa went to meet God in the early morning of October 14, 2026. She was 81, and she lived every one of those years with quiet strength, faith, and love for her family.

She was born in Tocaima, Colombia, a small town near Bogotá to Anibal Quintero and Bertilda Suarez, one of 10 children. In 1963, as a young woman, she made the brave journey alone to the United States, settling first in New York with her aunt. She didn’t know the language, but she learned b going to night school, earning her GED, working whatever jobs she could, and becoming a United States citizen.

New York also gave her the work of her life. Taken in by a group of kind women in a sewing shop, Rosa learned to sew from scratch and discovered she was a natural. She spent her life as a seamstress, good with her hands and proud of her work.

After an early first marriage and years of traveling the United States, Rosa found lasting love with Gary Sallee, whom she met in Seattle. They married and in 1978 had their only child, Garrett. They lived in Lynnwood, Washington, before Gary’s job at Hanford Patrol moved the family to the Tri-Cities in 1986. Rosa made a home wherever they went  cooking, cleaning, camping and traveling with her family, and raising Garrett, a self-described hellion who kept her on her toes.

When Gary retired in 1996, they moved to Kalispell, Montana, for a new chapter. They loved Flathead County, the mountains and the Continental Divide, made dear friends, and in 2004 built a beautiful home on Foyes Lake.

After Gary died in 2018, Rosa returned to the Tri-Cities with Garrett and Brandi. Brandi, Garrett’s now ex-wife, held a special place in Rosa’s heart they shopped together, went out to eat, and traveled together to the ocean and to Mexico. In the Tri-Cities, Rosa was surrounded by the people she loved most: her son, her four grandchildren, and her five great-grandchildren. She was grateful, too, for her friend Victoria Russell, who took her to the seniors luncheon and made sure she still got out into the world.

Rosa was mild-mannered and easygoing, never overindulgent, and always able to let things go. She loved the stars, E! Entertainment, and the Kardashians b and no actor could top Keanu Reeves in her eyes. Even as arthritis made getting out difficult, her faith never wavered. On Sunday mornings she watched church on her phone, holding strong to the Lord she had always trusted.

She is survived by her son, Garrett Sallee, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, and was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gary.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Einan’s Funeral Home.