Rose Velia Malay, age 84, of The Colony, Texas, passed away on October 12, 2026, in Plano, Texas, surrounded by family. She was born on September 15, 1942, in Beeville, Texas, to Raquel (Alaniz) and Luis Guerra, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On February 14, 1962, a friend invited a young Coast Guardsman named Marcos “Tony” Malay to a church Valentine’s party. He made sure Rose knew he could sing. Tony would meet her after her shifts at W. T. Grant, her first job, which she held through her junior and senior years of high school. They were married on January 19, 1963, at the Iglesia Bautista Hispano-Americana in New Orleans, and that May, Rose graduated from high school. Rose and Tony made their home in Cleveland, Ohio, then Panama City, Panama, and back in Cleveland before settling in The Colony, Texas, in January 1979. Wherever they lived, she was always involved in her church. She later worked at BeautiControl and at Walmart, where she met its founder, Sam Walton.
Rose Velia Malay Her faith in Jesus Christ was at the center of her life, and she shared the good news with everyone she met. She was a prayer warrior who gave freely of her time, her heart and all she had Rose was an amazing cook who could turn any ingredients into a wonderful meal, and her lumpia and pancit were part of almost every family gathering. She was a member of Glory of Zion Church in Denton.
Rose is survived by her husband of 63 years, Marcos “Tony” Malay of The Colony, Texas; her children, Mark Malay and his wife, Karen, of Frisco, Texas; Jade Malay of Austin, Texas; and Andrew Malay and his wife, Stephanie, of Austin, Texas; her grandchildren, Tara Malay of Anchorage, Alaska, and Stuart Malay of The Colony, Texas; and her siblings, Mary Gonzalez, Marcus Guerra, Richard Guerra, Abel Guerra, Carlos Rene Guerra and Elizabeth (Lisa) Guerra. She was preceded in death by her parents, Luis and Raquel Guerra, and her siblings, Ester Guerra Hymel, Ruben Guerra, Jesse Guerra and David Guerra.
A funeral service will be held at First United Methodist Church, 4901 Page Road, The Colony, Texas 75056, on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at DFW National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211, at 2:00 p.m.