Obituary of Rosalind "Roz" Reynelle (De Silva) Kirk

Rosalind “Roz” Kirk, age 88, was called home to heaven on February 4, 2021.  Her final days were spent surrounded by her loving family and friends.  The first child of Toney and Clorie De Silva, Roz was born on March 19, 1932 in San Diego, California.  She was born into a Portuguese commercial tuna fishing family on her father’s side and lived in Point Loma.  On her mother’s side, which was Hispanic, her grandmother and uncles owned several taco shops in San Diego.  Roz spent her youth involved in Portuguese community events as well as helping in the taco shops.  Roz attended Our Lady of Angels Elementary School, Memorial Junior High, and San Diego High School.

On December 3, 1950, Roz married the love of her life, Carl, which was the beginning of their 57 years of marriage.  Together they raised 4 children and she was very thankful for her large family and friends.  She had a great appreciation of music and loved to dance.  Roz enjoyed the get-togethers of her “Comadres” group in San Diego and she loved to bowl, which she did most of her life.  Roz was on many bowling leagues throughout her lifetime and several times was on 3 generation teams with Yvonne, and her sons Nick and Sean in addition to Curtis, and his children Darren and Lauren.  Roz supported her children and grand children’s activities, ranging from baseball, softball, and swim meets to graduations, nursing competitions, and quarter midget (car) racing.  She traveled many places through Europe and the United States.  Some of her fondest memories are from the annual reunions in Las Vegas with many family members and friends.  Many days were spent on Lake Mead and many nights at the slot machines.  She cherished the Caribbean cruises, road trips with her family, camping, and rafting down the Colorado River.  Roz spoke often of these great times and had such wonderful memories.

After raising her children, Roz attended Grossmont College, and then worked for the San Diego Registrar of Voters until her retirement in 1992.  Roz and Carl moved to Colorado in 1993, with their daughter Yvonne and her family along with their son Curtis and his family.  Roz and Carl spent the remainder of their lives in Colorado and often visited San Diego.  Roz loved the beach and always looked forward to putting her feet in the ocean again on her return trips to San Diego!

A beacon of light is one way to describe Roz.  She was a very caring, generous person and her house was always open for others to drop by for a visit or share a meal – Roz was an excellent cook and there always seemed to be plenty to share!  One example of Roz’s incredible compassion was having her Uncle Clarence’s Purple Heart from World War II displayed at the Portuguese Historical Center.  Through a tremendous act of kindness, the Purple Heart was given to her 73 years after his passing.  It meant so much to her for the Purple Heart to be displayed for all to see as a way to honor the Portuguese fishermen that gave up their lives fighting for this country.  Her generous contribution was the first to honor the service of Portuguese Americans which has since generated a large collection of military memorabilia, artifacts, pictures, and wartime stories at the Portuguese Historical Center in Point Loma, California.  

Family meant everything to Roz and she was definitely the matriarch!  Roz took a very active role in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s lives.  She shared her words of wisdom, experiences, and insight.  Roz always had time to talk and was a patient listener as well.  She gave good advice, whether you wanted to hear it or not!  Roz stressed the importance of family and set a great example for others to follow.

Roz often spoke about what a great life she had, how much fun her life was, and that she had no regrets.  Roz was predeceased by her beloved husband Carl, and more recently her brother Skip De Silva and her nephew Matthew De Silva, among many others, which have welcomed her to heaven.

At the time of her passing, she was survived by her sister Lorraine (De Silva) Anderson; children Yvonne (Steve) Lennon, Cheryl (Jim) Kerns, Curtis (Lisa), and Carla (Ted) Carignan.  Roz will also be lovingly remembered by her 10 grand children, 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and dear friends.

Funeral services will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery July 30, 2021 at 11am.  A “Celebration of Roz’s life” will begin immediately afterwards.