Obituary of Rosa Jacks

Maria Rosa Jacks (nee Teira Fernandez), 92, of Mountain Lakes, NJ, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, September 12, 2024.

Rosa, the 2nd youngest of 10 children, was born in Torrelavega, Spain to Gabino Teira-Herrero and his wife, Milagros Fernandez-Sagarminaga in December 1931.

Rosa was a lifelong educator, specializing in Spanish Language and Literature. She graduated from Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo in Spain with a degree in Pedagogy. She later earned a B.A.  in Spanish Language and Literature and an M.A. in Spanish and Latin American Literature from Montclair State University. Rosa shared her expertise in the Spanish Language as a teacher at The Wilson School in Mountain Lakes for 14 years before moving into the Textbook publishing industry where she worked as a Project Editor for both Scholastic Inc. and Silver Burdett Ginn. There she wrote, translated, and edited works in Spanish for publishers in New York, Texas, and California. In 1997, she returned to education, working as a Professor of Spanish at Montclair State University.  In retirement, she continued her passion for language, exchanging translations of song lyrics with others worldwide in multiple languages.

Rosa and her husband Paul E. Jacks were married in 1957 in Torrelavega, Spain. Paul, an engineer whose work took them around the world, lived with Rosa in Chile and Italy before returning to the United States in 1966 and settling in Mountain Lakes. There, Rosa was an active community member- becoming involved in her children’s school activities, performing at the Barn Theater in Montville, being an active communicant of Saint Catherine Church for sixty years, and a devoted member of the Mountain Lakes Garden Club. Her passion for gardening was well known among her family and friends.

Rosa was a wonderful wife and mother to her family. She was a fabulous cook, creating meals intuitively. A creative seamstress, she made clothes for herself and her 5 children. Her sense of humor and wit were second to none. Rosa was always the center of attention at parties where she liked to sing songs from her youth. She had an excellent memory, reciting medieval Spanish poetry and her catechism without error. When it came to playing Parcheesi with her grandchildren, “Abuela” was a serious player - she wasn’t one to let them win easily.

Rosa maintained a deep cultural connection with her homeland. She would return to Spain regularly with her children and grandchildren. She kept strong relationships there with her siblings and many nieces and nephews. Through Rosa, her children and grandchildren have kept their Spanish culture and language close to their hearts. Always friendly in English or Spanish, she insisted that everyone call her Rosa, but to her grandchildren, she was always “Abuela.”

Predeceased by her husband Paul, and her cherished daughter, Cristina; Rosa is survived by her loving children, Rosanne, Victoria (Michael Toole), Paul and Marianne (Jeff Bronico); her precious grandchildren, William and David Toole, Gabriel and Sarah El Ghandour, and Jack Bronico; as well as her many nieces and nephews. As a loved one once said, anyone who ever met Rosa was not likely to forget her.  She will be dearly missed.

Memorial Visitation will be from 1:00 to 4:00pm on Sunday, September 22^nd at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave, Denville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Catherine of Siena Church, Mountain Lakes, on Monday, September 23^rd at 10:00am. Interment will be in Spain.

Services are provided by Codey & Mackey Funeral Home of Boonton. To share condolences or memories, please visit CodeyMackeyFH.com.