Rosa de Ampudia

Rosa Omaira Muñoz Sandoval de Ampudia died peacefully in the presence of her four daughters the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011. She was 75. A native of Colombia, Rosa was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Isabel Cristina; and her husband, Fabio Ampudia. She was born to a prosperous family in a hamlet called Flor de Nima, in the vicinity of Palmira, Colombia. The daughter of Eva Sandoval and Miguel Muñoz, Rosa, then age 10, and her six siblings experienced a change in fortune with the death of her parents. Living with her aunt, Margarita Sandoval, and her siblings in Palmira, Rosa had little opportunity for formal education but learned and practiced with great success the domestic arts. At 17, she was successfully wooed by Fabio Ampudia, who would soon enter the business of musical record sales. They were married in 1954. During their union, which would last until Fabio's death in 2007, Rosa bore Fabio five daughters, four of whom survived to maturity. In Palmira, Rosa and Fabio lived modestly but sufficiently, in a house full of daughters, a motley dog, a green parrot and a doted-upon pig named Toribio. An accomplished seamstress, Rosa would create dresses, blouses and slacks of the latest fashion for the daughters. As the Ampudia girls grew to maturity and began to expand their horizons, visits were paid to Rosa's dear sister, Ana Gilma Munoz Sandoval de Belardo, then living in the Panama Canal Zone, and through romance, then marriage, connections were forged with the United States. Reunited with their daughters in the United States in 1984, Rosa and Fabio lived their last years together in Norwood, having retired from New Orleans to the country and gardening pursuits afforded there. Rosa became a U.S. citizen in 1997. Following Fabio's death in 2007, Rosa spent much time with family in Baton Rouge. Honoring her Colombian identity, Rosa prepared delicious, hearty, plantain leaf-wrapped tamales for most celebratory occasions. Her methods were labor and time intensive and always satisfying to those fortunate to sit with her at table. More comfortable speaking Spanish than English, Rosa was sometimes shy and reserved but always gracious. When at ease, she enjoyed a good laugh and could be a charming rogue. Her provincial beginnings in Flor de Nima notwithstanding, Rosa traveled extensively, making visits to daughters and family in other states and countries and several trips to Europe. She counted recent perambulations around Paris a favorite experience. Rosa is survived by three brothers, a sister, four daughters and their respective husbands, eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild. A funeral Mass will be held at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Diocese of Baton Rouge, on Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. Gracious and lovely in life, may she encounter the grace and love of our Father in the afterlife.