Rossana Lissett Rodriguez

In Loving Memory of Our Momma Bear

Rossana Lissett Rodriguez, born Rossana Lissett Barahona, came into this world on June 18, 1980, in Los Angeles, California. She later graduated from Aldine High School in Texas. She was the daughter of William R. Barahona and the late Gloria R. Barahona, who passed away on August 27, 2021.

But if you really want to know who Rossana was, you have to know that she was Momma Bear.

She was the proud mom of her three children, Danya L. Rodriguez, William I. Barahona, and Jaden O. George, and there was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for her kids. She loved us fiercely. She protected us, worried about us, fought for us, gave us advice (whether we wanted it or not 😂), and somehow always knew when something wasn't right. She was our safe place.

Our mom was a warrior. Life was not always kind to her, especially during her last few years, but if there was one thing about Rossana, it was that she was going to fight. She went through things that would have broken a lot of people, and somehow she would still find a reason to laugh. She was always looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of letting life laugh at her, she laughed right back.

And she wasn't only Momma Bear to us.

So many of our friends went to our mom for advice, to vent, to cry, or sometimes just because they needed someone to listen. She was that person. You could sit down with her, tell her your deepest secret, and know it wasn't going anywhere. She didn't have to agree with you either—trust me, she would definitely tell you what she thought—but she would listen. She had so much wisdom, and she genuinely cared about people.

She was loving, tender, caring, funny, stubborn, strong, and completely herself.

Mom loved her comfort food, especially her chicken soup and freshly made tortillas with queso fresco. She loved her Chinese dramas and The Hunger Games, and she loved her 2000s Spanish music. Music will always remind us of her, especially “Vida de Rico,” a song that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

There are so many little pieces of her that we are going to miss. Her advice. Her jokes. Her attitude. Her voice. Her comfort. The random conversations. Even the things that used to drive us crazy are things we would give anything to have back.

Forty-six years was nowhere near enough time.

But in those 46 years, our mom loved hard. She raised three children she would have gone to war for. She became a safe place for people who weren't even her own. She carried other people's secrets, listened to their problems, gave out more advice than any of us could probably count, and left pieces of herself in so many people's lives.

Our Momma Bear may not physically be here with us anymore, but she left us with her strength, her wisdom, her humor, and enough memories to carry with us for the rest of our lives.

We will continue to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, just like she always did.

And whenever life gets a little too ridiculous, we'll laugh at it for her.

We love you forever, Momma Bear. ❤️