Rosemary Torres

Rosemary Torres, RN, JD, LLM

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” – Corinthians 5:7

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rosemary Torres on March 11, 2025, at the age of 72. Rosemary was born on February 23, 1953, in Alliance, NE to Eduardo Chavero Torres and Connie Vallejo Torres. Rosemary’s life began humbly as the family worked in the potato and sugar beet fields in Western NE. She excelled academically, and knew an education would break the cycle of poverty.

A dedicated scholar and lifelong learner, Rosemary earned her B.S degree in Nursing from the University of NE, her law degree from the University of California Berkeley, and her master’s in law at Arizona State University. She created migrant health initiatives and women’s public health policy at the national institutes of health, and later in life specialized in psychiatric health and medical injury law.

Rosemary was an adventurous spirt with a love of history, which led her to visit many historical sites worldwide. She loved to spend time with friends and family appreciating the outdoors through skiing, hiking, swimming, and visiting National Parks. A lover of the arts, she frequently attended plays and musical events. She was an avid reader and loved and surrounded herself with books, especially those about World War 2. Her most recent projects included learning to play chess and crochet. She also loved cheering loudly for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and other professional teams.

Rosemary is survived by her five living siblings, Joesph (Laura) Torres, Hope (Rudy) Flores, Terri (Salomon) Lejia, Guadalupe (Jim) Torres-Armintrout and Edward (Nina) Torres. She joins her parents and sister Alicia Torres Garibay in heaven. She is loved by her nieces and nephews, aunts, cousins, and many beloved friends. Rosemary’s greatest love was for her family. She believed that dreams were achievable with focus, determination, and was the biggest cheerleader for all in her life. She will live on in the fruition of every dream she supported.

A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, April 3rd, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Phoenix, AZ, at 10 a.m., preceded by a viewing at 9am, and Rosary at 9:30am, Mass at 10am followed by a lunch reception at Postino Arcadia (3939 E. Campbell Ave. Phoenix AZ 85018). Friends and family are invited to celebrate Rosemary’s life. The mass will be livestreamed, the link can be found here: [link].

A service at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Scottsbluff NE will be held later this year, where her ashes will be buried with her mother.

The family extends special thanks to Carl Zender for his caregiving, Donna Apodaca for being Rosemary’s best friend and confidant and Tia Dee Vallejo for providing comfort, safety, and a joyful friendship. Rosemary would want us to continue strengthening our physical, mental, and emotional health, deepening our faith, and loving and caring for ourselves and others.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice in her memory.