Rosa (Trumler) Dieffenbach, 84, peacefully passed away on July 10, 2019 in Poulsbo, WA, after complications from Alzheimer’s. Rosa was born in Gleisdorf, Austria on August 17, 1934 to Josef and Maria (Wilfling) Trumler. She grew up in war-torn Austria during her formative years, the fifth of seven children. After WWII, at 16, she left home to find work in Switzerland. She became a governess for an American family, who later sponsored her, allowing her to immigrate to the United States after a 5-year waiting period. Arriving on the last voyage of the Queen Mary, she embarked on a courageous adventure, working as a governess for the sponsoring family, and later working in the cafeteria of the Gallaudet University before finally heading west, to San Francisco CA. On an outing with the Northern CA Swiss Club to Sonoma County, CA, she met the dashing William Dieffenbach, who swept her off her feisty and adventurous feet. They married on September 6, 1961, settling down first in Woodside, then Los Altos, CA. She along with her husband raised 4 children. They were married 33 years before his untimely death in 1995. Rosa later retired to Lincoln, CA and then to Poulsbo, WA, near her youngest daughter, Susan.
Rosa always loved gardening, taking care of flowers, making jam, and baking bread and vanilla gipfeli. She also enjoyed attending theater performances and musical concerts. She was very skilled at knitting, sewing, cooking and baking, especially for her family. She loved seeing her kids and grandkids grow up and loved to laugh with friends. She worked hard preparing many delicious luncheons and dinners, entertaining family, friends, and guests. No job was too large, having fortitude and conviction for getting things done. Her smile was contagious and her laugh will be sorely missed.
Rosa is survived by her four children, Heidi Dieffenbach-Carle, Rosemarie Dieffenbach, David Dieffenbach, and Susan (Dieffenbach) Bell and their spouses Steven Carle, Marc Schafer, Michaela (Valpey) Dieffenbach, and John Bell; her 5 grandchildren, Ellorine, William, Nicholas, Kaitlyn, and Anna; her sister, Frederika Meil, as well as extended family in California, Oregon, Switzerland, and Austria.
A special thank-you to Martha & Mary At Home for making it possible to have Rosa live in her home for as long as she was able per her wish, and particularly to Cathy Ulin for not only her loving hand in caring for Rosa, but also for being her friend. Also a special thank-you to the staff at Clare Bridge Memory Care Unit of Brookdale-Montclair of Poulsbo for their trusted and loving care they provided for the past two years. Your love and care of Rosa, will always be fondly remembered. Thank you to the community in which she lived, for looking out for her, the kindness she was freely given and the congregation of North Kitsap Baptist Church, for their welcoming and honoring spirit.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at North Kitsap Baptist Church, 20516 Little Valley Road NE, Poulsbo, WA 98370 on Saturday, July 27 at 2 pm, with reception following. Interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos, CA at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association www.Alz.org, Kitsap Children’s Music Theater www.KCMT.org or The Jewel Box Theater www.jewelboxpoulsbo.com.
