Rosa Doris McPherson

Rosa Doris McPherson died peacefully on May 5, 2020. She was believed to be 91 years old at the time of her passing, her age was a secret she enjoyed keeping. Rosa passed in Pleasanton, CA after a brief illness. During the pandemic hospitals were not allowing any visitors. We were allowed to visit her prior to her passing which we were very grateful for.

My mom lived for over 50 years in San Lorenzo, CA. She resided in a safe and friendly neighborhood that allowed her to walk to many of her favorite places. Rosa was preceded in death by her husband Douglas Jensen McPherson. Rosa was survived by her three children: her son Wallace McPherson, her daughter Aileen Hammer and son-in-law Paul Hammer with granddaughters Makaela Hammer and Brianna Hammer as well as her daughter Carolyn McPherson and son-in-law David Sere.

She was also survived by her three sisters Violeta Oblitas, Elinor Menendez and Blanca Lostao.

Rosa immigrated from Lima, Peru to the United States in the early 1960’s. She lived in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland where she met her future husband Douglas McPherson.

She worked a variety of jobs in the United States but her fondest job was still her first job in Lima working as a secretary for Senator Miguel Dammert Muelle. Senator Muelle was a mentor and friend to my mom and they corresponded often over the years.

My mom was very much a morning person and loved reading the daily newspaper at 5 am or earlier every day while enjoying her coffee. She enjoyed taking English grammar classes, writing courses and psychology classes and did so for many years. She was an avid walker and loved taking long walks everyday, often with her sisters. She loved taking power naps, watching movies from 1930’s to 1960’s, reading psychology books, and listening to any music from Carlos Gardel, Chabuca Granda, Frank Sinatra or Barbara Streisand. Empanadas were my mom’s signature dish, she perfected a variety of flavors over the course of 50 years and would make large batches of them to share with family. She loved gambling; her eyes would sparkle at the idea of going to Las Vegas and playing her beloved slot machines. She had great luck but she also didn’t give up when she started to lose. She was small in stature but had the endurance of a superhero when it came to gambling. Becoming a grandma brought her tremendous joy and she absolutely doted on her granddaughters.

No funeral or memorial is scheduled at this time due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the charity of your choice. If you choose to send memorial contributions to the charity of our choice, they could be made to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund: https:// curealz.org/giving/donate/