Rose Marie (Wheaton) Holmes

Lord, I thank you for all the love and blessings you have given me: My loving family, my caring and dear friends, and all the wonderful people I met in my life’s journey. As I come to you this day for eternal life, I ask that you bless and protect them in their life’s journey as you have mine.

Rosie Holmes, 89 years old, of Alamogordo, N.M., was born on August 19th, 1931, in Fort Scott, Kansas. She went to celebrate eternal life on March 21, 2021. She was preceded in death by her husband Roy in 2020, her parents, John and Cora Stotts Wheaton, her siblings, and grandchild Kristen Redpath. Rosie and Roy were married on December 28th, 1953 and had celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary prior to Roy’s passing. She was a caring and dedicated wife, loving mother, doting grandmother and great grandmother, a devoted and loyal friend to many, a faithful servant of God, and a tireless and exceptional volunteer for the Alamogordo community. She was filled with pride of raising her two sons (Mark Holmes --- Wife Celia of Las Cruces, NM and Steve Holmes --- Wife Judy of Alamogordo) and being part of Alamogordo during its growth from the 1960’s to the present.

She had a wonderful life full of love, laughter, and hard-working yet fun-filled childhood recollections on the family farm near Fort Scott, Kansas. These memories included feeding the chickens, milking the cows, and slopping the hogs all prior to heading off to school each morning. Rosie graduated from High School in 1950 where she starred on the school’s basketball team as a defensive specialist. Upon graduation, she attended College in Wichita, Kansas and was accepted into their St. Joseph School of Nursing where she quickly won over the hearts of the faculty nuns with her academic dedication and religious devoutness. She took great pride in her collegiate achievements as she financed her own way through nursing school while waitressing in local diners. Upon graduation, she was a talented and compassionate nurse in the Emergency and Operating Rooms at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Rosie recently shared with her family that about the only time she got into trouble with the nursing school faculty of nuns was when she was continuously caught playing baseball with the university men’s team. Something that was not allowed by any stretch of the imagination. While telling this story, she reflected (with a grin and chuckle) that the nuns who scolded her in front of the team and any onlookers and who removed her from the field would secretly mention to her to “keep getting in there and showing them who’s boss”. She would often tell her grandkids “if you’re going to play sports, there’s no sense in messing around … just get in there and give it you’re all and take care of business … that’s all there is to it”. Anyone who knew Rosie knows of her holding that same determination and approach to everything in her life.

Rosie moved to Alamogordo with her husband, Roy, in 1963 when he transferred from Wichita, Kansas to Holloman Air Force Base. Upon moving to Alamogordo, Rosie continued her dedication to those around her as an Alamogordo School System employee and with the tender loving care provided to the hundreds of kids raised in the Holmes Child Care business that she and Roy operated upon his retirement from HAFB. Rosie and Roy never stopped “raising their kids” and up until their deaths attended their high school and college graduations, Quinceaneras ceremonies, weddings, births of children, and many other special occasions. They were always filled with such joy to be able to be part of those wonderful and special times.

In her retirement years, Rosie enjoyed many things to include bird watching, sitting on her front and back porches, doing search-a-words, playing canasta, animal dominos, and robber bingo, going fishing and camping, watching old fashion shows to include Little House on the Prairie and the Waltons. Along with her husband Roy, they were affectionately known throughout the family and community as real “Party Animals” as they enjoyed so much getting out and sharing life’s joys and special occasions. During her last year, she relished the special times spent with her family and also watching EWTN’s daily masses, rosaries, stations of the cross, and chaplet of divine mercy programs.

Rosie is survived by her 2 children, 8 grandchildren; Sean Holmes of Alamogordo, Mark Holmes (Daraka of Alamogordo), Kevin Holmes (Sunny of Albuquerque), Robyne Wood (Chris of Albuquerque), Matt Holmes (Caitlin of San Antonio), Anna Seidlitz (Andrew of Costa Rico), Ashley Boone (Sam of North Carolina), Mia Redpath (Sage of Round Rock), and 7 great grandchildren.

Rosie’s children and grandchildren are very proud of the wonderful examples that she provided with all her volunteer work for many community organizations and events. The list is almost endless but includes helping her husband coach many Alamogordo area youth sports teams from baseball to basketball to bowling. She was an Adult Leader for Alamogordo’s Cub and Boy Scout organizations as well as for the Pride of the Tularosa Basin Alamogordo High School Band in the 1970’s. Rosie loved bowling and participated for many years in the women’s league having carried an average of 162 and rolling a high score of 258. Rosie participated in and was a volunteer for AARP, NARFE, 49th Civil Engineering Squadron Reunion, Sacking Lunches for Meals on Wheels with her grandkids Sean and Mark, RSVP, March of Dimes, National Alzheimer’s Association, Relay for Life, Team Holloman, and the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce.

Rosie was passionate and exceptionally devoted to her Catholic Faith and was a founding parishioner of St. Jude Parish in 1965 where she served on numerous committees and organizations to include the Blue Army and the Altar Rosary Society. She was also a parishioner at both ICC and Our Lady of the Light Catholic Church. In addition, Rosie devoted over 20 years as a volunteer at Father Hay Catholic School during fundraisers, committee activities, renovation projects, community events, and was most proud of being blessed to have taught the Rosary and Stations of the Cross to hundreds upon hundreds of the school’s children. Up until her passing, they would visit her and thank her for providing them with their religious faith and dedication to prayer.

The Holmes family has entrusted the care of their loved to Scenic Chapel to direct the funeral services.

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