Opal L. Rosenbach

Opal Rosenbach passed away June 8, 2011, at the age of 89. She was born on March 31, 1922, in Dailey, Colorado to Alma May and Robert Bamford. As the 10th and youngest child, she enjoyed a wonderful family life filled with love, faith, learning, and the joy of hard work. She learned early to thrive and survive life on the farm in northeastern Colorado through the Dust Bowl and Depression. She began her working career in Sterling, Colorado in the Office of the Public Health Nurse. She then moved to Denver at the age of 18 to work as the bookkeeper for Fahey-Brockman Men's Store at 16th and Welton. She loved the independent life of a single career woman living one block from the Colorado state capitol building, and the daily walks to work in Downtown Denver. Her memories of Denver in those years were happy. She worked hard as a bookkeeper, and then filled in the rest of her time with volunteer work and fun. As an avid dancer, Opal did her part to support WWII soldiers by attending Red Cross and USO sponsored tea dances in many metro ballrooms. She met the love of her life, Bill Rosenbach, while they were in high school and they were married in 1944. They lived in Las Vegas, NV, where Bill was stationed in the US Army Air Corps. After many subsequent stations in Texas, the couple moved to Denver in 1945 to establish their home and family. Opal became a devoted mother to two daughters in 1947 and 1948. Yet, always driven to participate in the financial success of her marriage, she began a sales career as a representative for Stanley Home Products in 1952. She worked in the evenings giving ""home parties"" and won multiple awards for high sales. Always a good student, Opal graduated at age 16 from Dailey High School. She returned to college in 1955 and earned her Bachelor of Education in 1958 at the University of Denver. Born to teach, Opal was a master educator, spending her entire career with the Aurora Public School System. Beginning in the fall of 1958, she taught full time until her retirement in 1979. During that time she taught more than 2500 middle-school students. For the next ten years after retirement, Opal continued teaching daily as a substitute teacher in the same schools. She wrote curriculum guides for English, math and social studies for the school system. She taught the first experimental Spanish class to gifted students in 6th grade. In 1974, Opal was a finalist for the Colorado ""Teacher of the Year"". While still teaching, Opal got her insurance license and actively sold cancer and intensive care insurance in her ""off hours"". Never one to have idle time, she also was active in her church, the community, and professional organizations. She belonged to and was active in Faith Presbyterian Church, the Aurora Retired Teachers' Association, American Association of University Women, University of Denver Pioneers, Pi Gamma Mu, Beta Sigma Phi, Delta Kappa Gamma, Cherry Creek Woman's Club, Columbine Belles Woman's Club, the Aurora Historical Society, Mended Hearts of Colorado, the Aurora Museum Foundation, Hospitality Club, Widowed Men and Women of Denver, Prospector's Club, the National Association of Home Builders of Metro Denver Auxiliary, and many bridge groups. A natural organizer and motivator, she took her turn at leadership in every organization she joined. For 15 years, Opal worked with the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Conference for high school juniors from all over Colorado. She worked to raise funds to purchase books for children in low-income schools and delivered them herself. One of her special projects was funding and awarding scholarships to adult women for their secondary education. Recognized as a long-time community leader, the City of Aurora honored her in 2004 as a Sculptor of the Community. In 2008, a memorial resting bench was placed in Cherry Creek State Park and dedicated to Opal and Bill Rosenbach in honor of their years of community service. Opal was an accomplished cook, entertainer, seamstress, knitter, card player, and flower grower. But most of all she was the truest of friends to many, and the best mother and grandmother one could hope for. Opal was pre-deceased by her husband Bill in 1960. She is survived by her two daughters, Cheryl Crouch and Marcia Keene, her grandchildren, Jennifer Taylor, Jeremie Bergert, Derek Keene, Karen Crouch, and Taylor Crouch, her great-grandchildren, Cameron, Grady, Katie, Eadan, Ben, and Julian, and numerous nieces and nephews. All will miss her warm smile and love. Please share your memories of Opal and condolences with her family by selecting the ""Sign Guestbook"" link.