Romeo Rojas Walsson

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our husband, father and grandfather Romeo Rojas Walsson on June 16, 2022 in Edmonton. 

Romeo is survived by his wife of 50 years, Rose; his two sons, Romeo (Beatriz) and Ricardo (Melissa); his daughter Carmen (Mark); his beloved grandchildren Isabella, Eliana, Michael, Inez and Jasper; his sisters Teresa, Marlene and Susie; his brother Max, and their families. He will also be remembered by his extended network of in-laws throughout Western Canada. He was predeceased by his parents Alejandro and Teresa, his sister Gloria and his brother Alex. 

Romeo was born in Trujillo, Peru on Dec. 16, 1943 and grew up in Lima. From a young age, he loved school, soccer and music (especially classical). When he was 16 years old, his family emigrated to Nashville, Tennessee where he learned English and attended college. He had always known his calling was to make a difference in people’s lives by becoming a physician, so in 1965 he moved to Mexico to study medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. During these years, he developed a love for Mexican music that would last the rest of his life. In the right company, he could even be convinced to stand up and sing along with mariachi bands at restaurants. 

When it came time to do his internship in 1970, his adventurous spirit took him north to Regina, Saskatchewan. Fate played a hand in his decision because it was there, while interning at the Grey Nuns hospital, that he met a young nurse named Rose. They were married in 1971 and shortly afterwards moved to San Diego, California for a year while Romeo completed community service work across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. He then accepted a residency in Toledo, Ohio, where they started their family with the birth of Romeo Jr. in 1973 and Rick in 1976.

The family moved back to Regina in 1976 and Carmen was born a few years later. Romeo was a professor with the University of Saskatchewan and practiced family medicine at the Plains Hospital. He became part of a close-knit community of Latin American doctors who practiced in Regina, and enjoyed many weekend soccer games and family get togethers with these friends over the years. 

In 1995, the next adventure began when Romeo, Rose and Carmen moved to San Antonio, Texas. There, Romeo practiced first family medicine and then emergency medicine. Even a life-threatening medical condition in 2007 couldn’t slow him down. Romeo and Rose fulfilled their travel dreams by touring Spain in 2015 and Italy in 2016. His constantly changing retirement date became a running joke in the family. When he finally hung up his stethoscope in 2020, we concluded that all it took to finally get him to retire was a pandemic. 

Even in retirement, our dad never stopped being a doctor. He was continually learning and was always available for medical advice, day or night. But the one thing he loved more than medicine was his family. He was incredibly proud of his children, encouraging us to pursue our educational goals and develop a lifelong love of learning, as his father had done for him. “Arriba, siempre arriba hasta las estrellas.”

In the fall of 2021, we were thrilled when our parents moved back to Canada, settling in Edmonton to be close to the kids and grandkids. During these last months of his life, he was able to be an even more doting grandfather than before. He proudly watched synchronized swimming tournaments, soccer practices and dance performances. Nothing made him happier than treating his grandkids to impromptu shopping trips, and he was always ready with chocolate bars, envelopes of money and his camera to capture all the small moments when we were together.

Along with his intelligence and love, we’ll remember his passion for music and his ever-growing library of LPs and CDs, the sound of his deep baritone singing his favourite Spanish songs, his quirky sense of humour, his sometimes questionable spelling and his habit of sending us daily text messages (with a liberal use of emojis) simply to let us know he hoped we’d have a good day. 

We’d like to thank his family doctor, Dr. Patricia Belda, and all the doctors and nurses who cared for him during the final days of his life. In particular, we’re deeply grateful to Dr. Jayan Nagendran and the cardiac surgery team at the Mazankowski Heart Institute for doing everything in their power to try and save his life, and for treating him with dignity and compassion. 

Romeo/Dad, there are no words to express how much we love you and miss you. Thank you for always being there for us. We’ll carry your spirit with us for the rest of our lives. Te amaremos por siempre.