Obituary: Rosa E. (Hernandez) Jarvis, 93, of Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT - (From Wallingford Funeral Home) Rosa E. (Hernandez) Jarvis, 93, of Wallingford, wife for 67 years of the late Albert M. Jarvis, passed away at home on August 22, 2021 surrounded by her loving family and caregivers.

She was the daughter of the late Eduvigis Rios Hernandez and Felix Hernandez. Rosa was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on April 9, 1928, raised in Ponce, and came to the mainland after high school to live in Newark, New Jersey, with her sister Nelly and her husband Bud.

She was able to rekindle a friendship she made with Albert when he was stationed in Puerto Rico which eventually led to their marriage.

Rosa was a fighter, surviving the last 8 years on dialysis and surviving 2 years after the death of her beloved Albert.

She started her married life in the Fair Haven section of New Haven before moving to their new home in Wallingford, which is the same home in which she passed. She was a dedicated homemaker who took pride in always keeping her home neat.

She was very loving and proud of her family and always encouraged them and supported them in their endeavors. For many years, Rosa volunteered in the Rock Hill School library, taking the school bus to school since she didn’t drive.

Rosa loved seeing stage shows and traveling. She collected Hummel figurines and also spent many hours caring for the plantings around the house. She enjoyed trips to New York to attend Broadway and had season subscriptions to the Bushnell for their Broadway series. She and Albert took many trips across the US.

They attended the Rose Bowl parade one year and enjoyed trips to Las Vegas to see the shows. She loved to shop at the malls, especially West Farms, where Albert would sit by the alphabet statue by JC Penney and wait for Rosa to complete her shopping. Rosa had a great sense of humor and was always joking with her family and making them laugh. Rosa was a long-time parishioner of the Most Holy Trinity Church.

She is survived by her two children, Dianne Zareski (William Pearse), and Michael Jarvis (Patricia), and her five grandchildren, Jodi Zareski (Steven Martin), Lisa Zareski (Noah Stiger), Dana Zareski (Cameron Anstey), Alex Jarvis, and Julie Jarvis (Michael Sutcliffe). She also has two great grandchildren, Cole Stiger and Leah Stiger.

She is also survived by her sister Mary Therese (Tere) Rodriguez and her husband Victor Rodriguez.

She is also survived by many nieces and nephews whom she loved very much.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her two brothers and their spouses, Felix Hernandez and Maria Isabel (Isabel), and Francisco (Paco) Hernandez and Aida, and two sisters and their spouses, Sara Nelly Davis and Evan (Bud), and Nivea McClintock and George.

She was also predeceased by three nephews, Felix Alberto Hernandez, Carlos Alberto Hernandez, and Felix Ivan (Pululo) Hernandez.

Rosa’s family would like to extend extreme thanks to her primary caregivers, neighbor Heather Sarro and her sister Tiffany French, for their devoted and loving care, having made a promise to Albert that they would watch over Rosa and allow her to stay in her home until her passing.

There are no words to say how thankful the family is for the level of commitment and love that they gave Rosa. Thank you also Rocco Sarro, Anthony Sarro, and Roman Sarro and to Lidia Fortune of Always Best Care of Wallingford for her care and companionship and to Victor, Dee, Rose, and Claire of Wallingford Dialysis Care.

Thank you also to VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice, especially nurses Amanda, Danielle, and Karen, social worker Mary, and Reverend Joel Rissinger for their care and compassion during Rosa’s last days.

Rosa’s family will receive relatives and friends at The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 North Main Street Ext. on Friday, August 27, 2021 from 9:00 am until 10:30 am when her funeral cortege will proceed to Most Holy Trinity Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am.

Interment will be in St. John Cemetery in Wallingford. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice, 753 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437.