Dear friends & family, it is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of our beloved Victor Angel Rosado on Sunday morning, September 14th. Victor is much more than words can capture; a beautiful, gentle soul with a smile that can brighten the darkest rooms, a laugh that carried warmth, and a presence that made everyone cared for. To me and my siblings, he was the most wonderful big brother we could have ever asked for. Victor was a son, cousin, nephew, and friend whose love and loyalty never wavered. Victor was a person of integrity and was always there for us with words of wisdom or a perfectly timed joke when we needed it most. Many of us will always remember Victor by his beautiful smile and kind eyes.

Victor was incredibly smart and talented with dreams and hopes. Art was his first language, and as he grew older his skills and talents became more disciplined and powerful. At just 14, he was mentored by muralist Ricardo Estrada at Plaza De La Raza, where he assisted Estrada in painting large scale murals in Lincoln Heights (Plaza De La Raza) and Downtown Los Angeles (building on 7th & Alameda). Victor was an artist at heart, always carrying sketchbooks and spray paints with him, marking a city that will never forget him.

Victor’s bond with Los Angeles was more than just personal - it was deeply rooted in his community. Growing up in Northeast LA, he carried the stories, struggle, and beauty of his neighborhood. He began his education at Anahuacalmecac Semillas del Pueblo in El Sereno, a space grounded in indigenous culture and practices and later attended Mendez High School in Boyle Heights. Most recently, Victor was a student at Pasadena Community College where he was close to receiving his associates degree, and had planned to transfer to a university to study archeology. Victor had a deep passion for political and social sciences, he was constantly educating himself on history and said he wanted to live in a place "where revolutions happen".

Victor was an avid reader, influenced by the philosophies of Marx and Che Guevara. Constantly with a book in his hand and ready to immerse himself in the worlds of Yuri Herrera, Haruki Murakami and Franz Kafka, he enthusiastically absorbed the knowledge these works had to offer. He was also a deeply passionate cinephile and admired directors who made unconventional work and created narratives that had never been illuminated. Some of his favorites were Alfonso Cuarón, David Lynch, Robert Eggers, Alfonzo Ruizpalacios…all of whom explored a divergence from the “known” with the universes of their art and shared the same inventive spirit that Victor carried. You could always depend on him for a life changing book recommendation or a fascinating, intrinsicate take on why a film swayed him. His ability to understand the world around him and unearth the meanings of the things he saw in such a gentle, yet sturdy manner was a gift uniquely his own.

Over the last year and a half, Victor faced difficult struggles with his mental health. While there were moments of clarity and stability, lasting peace often slipped away from him. Through it all, the Rosado-Arellano family walked beside him, doing everything we could to support his healing and surround him with love. Victor carried a deep commitment to the drum and ceremony, we will always remember and miss his voice on the drum, a sound that carried strength, healing, and love. Though our hearts ache, we find comfort in believing that Victor now found the rest he was searching for. We know he would have been deeply moved to see his community come together in his honor. His sudden passing has left us anguished and as we grieve, we are working to prepare memorial services that reflect the love, spirit and light he brought into our lives.

Our hearts are broken, but we find comfort in knowing that Victor’s tender spirit will live on in every memory, every story, and every smile we carry forward in his honor.