Rosalba Shook
Rosalba Pascal Shook, 96, departed this world for her Heavenly Home on October 13, 2025. She was born on April 22, 1929, to James Henry Pascal and Maria Ferrier Pascal, immigrants from the Waldensian Valleys in northwest Italy.
Rosalba was a life-long member of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese. She served as Elder, Sunday School teacher, Chairman of the Historical Committee, active in the work of the Waldensian Heritage Museum and the Women of the Church and also served as Chairman of the Committee that wrote The History and Heritage of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church: The First One Hundred Years, published in 1993. In 1995, she was awarded the Life Membership of the Women of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church.
A graduate of Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., she went on to earn a Masters Degree in School Guidance Counseling at ASU. She worked for 36 years as a teacher and school counselor in North Carolina Public Schools. After retirement Rosalba worked part-time for several years for Western Piedmont Community College as a tutor in the Adult Basic Education Program. She also taught English as a Second Language and as a volunteer for the Burke County Literacy Council for about twelve years.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Kenneth Shook; two brothers, Elmo John Pascal and Silvio Jeffrey Pascal; nephew, John ("J") Pascal; and two older siblings, Robert Pascal and Marianne Pascal, who died in childbirth; sisters-in-law, Vera Harvey Pascal and Barbara Shook Etter.
Those left to cherish her memory are her niece, Marianne Pascal of Galveston, Texas; two nephews, James Henry Pascal and wife, Linda of Matthews, N.C., Robert Jeffrey Pascal and wife. Stephanie of South Lake, Texas; also a great-niece, Sophie Noelle Pascal; and great-nephews, Bennett Austin Pascal and River Charles Pascal all of South Lake, Texas; a sister-in-law, Lucy Jentgen Pascal of Galveston, Texas; brothers-in-law, Dennis Shook (Donna) of Dallas N.C. and Jack Etter of Dallas, N.C.
Funeral Services for Rosalba Pascal Shook will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 21, 2025, in the Waldensian Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dr. Rachel Matthews and Rev. Matt Matthews officiating. Interment will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Waldensian Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends following the services in Pioneer Hall of the Church.
Memorials may be made to the Waldensian Presbyterian Church or to the
charity of your choice.
An online guestbook is available at
www.heritagefuneralservices.com.
Heritage Funeral Service
1507 Main St. E. Valdese, NC 28690
Published by The News Herald on Oct. 18, 2025.