Rosa Karam Gutierrez passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on April 24, at the age of 74. Her soul now rejoices in heaven in the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Rosie, as her friends lovingly knew her, was born on February 18, 1945. She lived in La Villa, Texas and graduated from Edcouch Elsa High School in 1964. She met Juan J. Gutierrez of Mercedes TX and the couple married in 1967. After a few years, they moved to Vienna, VA, a suburb of Washington DC where they resided for the next 44 years. During that time, Rosie, together with her husband, built InterAmerica Technologies into one of the premier Hispanic-owned consulting firms in the Nation’s capital. Later they purchased and grew Kemron Environmental Services into one of the largest Hispanic owned environmental engineering and remediation companies in the U.S. She served on the Board of Directors of InterAmerica Technologies as well as its Secretary Treasurer from 1975 to 2010. She was also a member of the Board of Directors and the Secretary Treasurer of Kemron from 1983 until her retirement in 2017. During her tenure in Virginia, she was very active in community affairs serving in various volunteer capacities, such as political campaigns for the Democratic Party, PTA boards and at her local parish, St. Mark’s Catholic Church. Rosie was renowned as a lovely hostess for lavish parties held at the family home known as Sin Miedo Manor. She received and entertained hundreds of friends and family members from all over the United States. Upon her retirement, she and her husband returned to Texas and settled in Austin to be closer to her children, grandchildren, family and friends. Rosie was very creative and an expert seamstress. She enjoyed making clothes and costumes for her grandchildren, as well as quilting blankets for family and friends. She loved to garden and grew fruits and vegetables to harvest, making jams and pickled jellies and gifting them at Christmastime. Rosie was an excellent cook and baker. When visiting her grandchildren, she enjoyed baking many treats with them. In addition, Rosie’s passions were fishing, baseball and wagering. She still holds the record for largest flounder on the “Beach Bum” boat out of Nags Head, NC as well as the largest red bull drum on Captain Lopez’s boat in the Laguna Madre at South Padre Island, and she continued to follow her beloved Washington Nationals from afar. In the last few years of her life she enjoyed traveling with her childhood friends on casino trips to Las Vegas, Coushatta and New Orleans. Rosie was a world traveler who loved to explore. In the months before her illness she cruised Alaska, the Rhine River and visited Paris, France. She rang in 2019 in Havana, Cuba. Rosie was an only child born in Pharr, TX to Daniel Karam and Blasita Maldonado, both whom preceded her in death. She is survived by the love of her life, Juan J. Gutierrez, to whom she devoted her entire life for 52 years. Also surviving is her daughter Patricia Gutierrez Carranza and her husband, Juan B. Carranza, III and her son Juan-Daniel Gutierrez and his wife, Dr. Maureen Shevlin Gutierrez, as well as four grandchildren, Juan Braulio IV and Gisella Rose Carranza, Gage Mateo and Luke Augustus Gutierrez. In addition to her immediate family, Rosie leaves behind many loved ones, including brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, and dear friends. The family extends it gratitude to Edith, Magda, Sarita and Marcy who generously provided their love and support to Rosie during particularly difficult moments of her struggle. The family also extends heartfelt thanks to Dr. Maureen S. Gutierrez, Dr. Sean Gilbey and Dr. James Boysen and the wonderful and dedicated staffs of Saint David’s South Austin Hospital and the Bluebonnet Rehabilitation Hospital of the Texas NeuroRehab Center for their loving care. The family received guests 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, April 29, 2019 at Guerra Funeral Home in Weslaco, TX with a Rosary at 7:00 PM. A funeral service was held 10 AM, Tuesday April 30 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church 1108 W. Hackberry Ave McAllen TX. Celebrant was Rev. Felix Cazares. Interment followed at La Piedad Catholic Cemetery in McAllen. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to her favorite charity, The Greater Southwest Optimist Club of Austin, P.O. Box 40746, Austin, TX 78704. Arrangements were under the direction of Guerra Funeral Home of Weslaco, Inc., 2602 N. Texas Ave., Weslaco, TX (956) 969-1461.

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