Rosa Marie Buck

Rosa Marie Buck (Grammie) was welcomed to heaven in the morning hours of January 29, 2025. Family was her everything, and we have no doubt that she was greeted by the warm embrace of her loving husband, Bob, her beloved grandson, Jamie, and her two sons, Gary and Ken, upon her arrival home.

Rosa was born on February 16, 1931 to Melva and Loren Sitton in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. She was the oldest of 7 children in a very close family. Her family moved to north Idaho from Kansas shortly before she was born. Rosa’s life of love and service began early. Her early years were spent helping on the family farm, watching little siblings, and tending to her elderly grandparents who lived with the family. She often spoke fondly of those years of playing outdoors, her love of school, family and community get-togethers, grange dances, and the simple joys of country life. The “Waltons” were very much alive in the stories she told. Her family moved from Bonner’s Ferry to a 640 acre homestead in Newport, WA where she attended high school and was a rodeo princess, when she was a teen. It was there she met the love of her life, Robert L Buck (Bob), from Sandpoint, Idaho.

Rosa and Bob were married on August 31, 1948 in Thompson Falls, MT. In just over 3 years they welcomed 3 sons: Gary L, Robert E, and Kenneth D. So close in age, best friends and brothers, they became known as “the boys” and kept Rosa busy as a young wife and mom. Bob worked in construction, and the young family followed his work on dams and road projects to several northwest communities before settling in Sandpoint before the birth of their daughter, Joanie Marie, in 1960. While Bob worked construction, drove logging truck, or long haul delivery, Rosa’s role of love and service kept the home warm and inviting. She loved to cook and bake and won many ribbons at the county fair. Later, with the boys in school, Rosa rejoined the workforce. She seemed to excel at whatever she did. As an Avon lady in Sandpoint, she won top awards. In 1966 the family moved to Spokane Valley where Bob became general manager of a trucking company. Rosa worked as a glazing specialist at Quarry Tile, where her skill and attention to quality detail earned her accolades. If you visited the Spokane International Airport from the late sixties through much of the eighties, you walked on her tile, as it was chosen for the concourse flooring. (The leftover tile is still under the carpet in the basement of our family home.) Rosa spent many years working as Bob’s bookkeeper as he continued work in trucking and forest service road construction over the years. Her final job outside the home was as a cook for East Valley School District at Trent Elementary. She loved her time there, but her first love was caring for her grandchildren, which filled many of her retirement years. Her family was her everything, and she was, with Grandpa, the everything of her family. Their home was truly the home that built all of us, children, grandchildren, and extended family.

Rosa was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her sons, Gary and Ken, her grandson, James, and her siblings John, Charles, and Glenda. She is survived by her son, Bob Jr, her daughter, Joanie, grandchildren including Kamie and Rob; Brian, Kristi, Scott, Laurie and Aaron; Gerod and Jordan; and Lily (Jessica), Jennifer, and Juliana; 18 great grandchildren, several great-great grandchildren, siblings Loren (Tuffy), Gileel and Tudy, as well as a large extended family, some by blood and some by love, who adored her. Many thanks to the loving staff at Liberty Lake Guardian Angel who supported Gram by creating a safe and nurturing home for her over the last 7 years. We appreciate you so much!

A simple open house celebrating her life will be held on her birthday, February 16. Contact Joanie for details. As always, love hard…and “bless your heart, honey.” Gram would want you to take good care of each other.