Rosa Maria Findlay

Doña Rosa Maria Escudé de Findlay, 83, of Cedar Falls, IA, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at NewAldaya Lifescapes in Cedar Falls.

Rosa Maria was born in San Juan, PR, to Josefa and Francisco Escudé on March 13, 1936. She was married to Donald T. Findlay on January 4, 1961 in Caguas, PR.

Rosa Maria was a person of many accomplishments and honors. She received a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico, and M.A. (Ed) from the University of Northern Iowa. She taught Spanish to students of all ages in San Juan, PR, for 3 years; University of Northern Iowa Malcom Price Laboratory School for 37 years; Wartburg College; and Valley Lutheran School for 2 years as a volunteer. She was a veteran of the United States Naval Reserve serving as a Mess Specialist having fed Navy SEALs at Coronado, CA. She was a member of the AMVETS Auxiliary (Life) and Lions Club. Rosa Maria strongly believed in service to others and her community providing Spanish translation services for local and regional medical and court systems. She served many years on the Iowa Latino Affairs Commission, Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission, was a founding and board member of El Centro Latino Americano, and was a 1999 inductee into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. She lived a life of giving often supporting those in need of assistance in education, basic needs, and general support. She was fond of her fluffy friends and the joy they brought. Of all her accomplishments, Rosa Maria once said she was most proud of her children and grandchildren.

Rosa Maria is preceded in death by her parents.

Rosa Maria is survived by her husband of 58 years, Donald; children, Josefa Margarita (Joel) Poppen of Ankeny, IA, and Donald Frank (Teresa) Findlay of Northfield, MN; siblings, Providencia Escudé Ortiz and Tony Rios; grandchildren, Andrew (Jennifer Koska) Poppen, Benjamin Poppen, Cole Poppen, Chelsea Findlay, and Donald Findlay; great-granddaughter Evelyn Findlay; and the extended Ortiz and Findlay families.

Rosa Maria will receive a burial at sea by the United States Coast Guard in the Caribbean near Puerto Rico. A celebration of life will be held later at a location and date yet to be determined.

Condolences to the Dahl – Van Hove – Schoof Funeral Home, 1825 W 12th Street, Cedar Falls, IA, 50613; or online at www.DahlFuneralHome.com.

Memorials may be directed to the Hispanic Federation Unidos Program to Support Puerto Rico www.hispanicfederationunidos.org, or the Price Lab History Project through the Ross A. Nielsen Foundation/Alumni and Friends of Price Laboratory School c/o the UNI Foundation at https://www.adv.uni.edu/foundation/pledgeform.aspx.

The family of Rosa Maria wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the caring staff of the Cascade wing at NewAldaya Lifescapes, Lorraine Baker, Glenda Perez Christensen, Ana Luhring, the Sanchez Family, and the staff of St. Croix Hospice.