Sarah (Gamboa) Rosso

Sarah (Gamboa) Rosso, 97, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2026, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, caregivers, beloved pets and other loved ones, at her home in Gilroy, California.

Born on April 9, 1929, in Lincoln, California, to Faustino and Genoveva Gamboa, Sarah was a loving daughter. She excelled in school and engaged in sports, band, student government, journalism, and graduated from Lincoln High School as Salutatorian of the class of 1946.

After graduation, Sarah moved to San Jose, where she attended college and worked as a bookkeeper. She met Jaime Rosso, her lifelong love, at a dance hosted by their latin social club. They shared a passion for dancing, and, he said, he was first drawn to her because she had the most grace on and off the dance floor. This inseparable pair married on February 11, 1951.

Together, they raised a family of ten children. Sarah was the heart of a loving home. She managed a household where everyone was welcome and lovingly cared for. She made sure there was always delicious food ready, even for frequent unexpected guests and gatherings, including extended family, friends, workers, and neighbors.

In addition to her domestic responsibilities, she demonstrated remarkable professional competence, maintaining the enormous daily load of the office and bookkeeping for a retail furniture store and multiple residential rental properties, businesses which Jaime and Sarah owned and operated together for over fifty years in San Bernardino, California.

With her deep faith in God, Sarah found joy and inspiration in the community at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. She served as a Eucharistic minister, provided religious education, communion to the sick and elderly, facilitated prayer groups, volunteered in the parish school, and helped in numerous other capacities over the decades.

Sarah placed the highest priority on loving and serving others. Those who knew her well respected her high integrity, intelligence, patience, and quiet strength. She was a trustworthy, attentive listener, and many say she was the person they turned to for comfort and care in difficult times. In more recent years, she attended mass and many special events and appreciated the faithful support of the community at St. Mary’s Church in Gilroy, California.

Sarah relished family trips, reading, writing letters, journaling, going on walks, visiting loved ones, receiving visitors, cooking, and staying active outdoors in games and sports. Even as she sat, whenever she heard music, her smile brightened, her shoulders swayed, and her toes tapped to the beat. Dancing and music were among her greatest delights. In the midst of her tremendous responsibilities, she still approached life with vitality and joy. She was a warm light for all she met.

Sarah is survived by her children:

Sons: P. Jaime Rosso (Evelia), Anthony Rosso (Rosanna), Michael Rosso (Herlinda), Edward Rosso, and Tomas Rosso Daughters: Roseanne Rosso, Laura Rosso Knight (Jeff), Sandra Rosso Williams (Andrew), and Mary Rosso (Dena)Extended Family: 24 grandchildren: Caroline, Bernadine, Sarah, Sandra, Jaime, Eddie, Sofia, Miguel, Matthew, Danny, Maria, Rosanna, Andrea, Adam, Gabriela, David, Natali, Carlos, Monica, Danny, Ciana, Anna, Ian, and Josh. 30 great-grandchildren: Isabella, Alex, Mason, Ryder, Ashton, Maddox, Grayson, Tamais, Trini, Yoey, JR, Mia, Olivia, Roger, Raymond, Jasmine, Lukas, Ben, Augustine, Zocaiah, Eli, Eva, Charlotte, Andrew, Sal, Mikey, Jason, Eileen, Everly, and Emelia, two great-great-grandchildren: Oliver and Toni, one sister-in-law (Esther Rosso), and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved loved ones, including her husband and daughter, Jaime Rosso and Judith Rubio; her parents, Faustino and Genoveva Gamboa; her brothers, Tom and Gilbert; and her many brothers- and sisters-in-law who became her extended family: Ana Maria, Esther, Hector, Luis, Elsie, Ruben, Manuel, Judith, Walter, Daphne, Tony, and Felix.

Services and Memorial Information

Vigil: Sunday, November 8, from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM at Habing Family Funeral Home (Gilroy, CA).Funeral Mass: Monday, November 9, at 10:00 AM at St Mary’s Parish, Gilroy, CA. Celebration of Life: Monday, November 9, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, Hiram Banquet Room (Morgan Hill, CA). Family and friends are warmly invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Sarah's honor to the Alzheimer's Association .