Rosenda “Rose” Elizabeth Smiley was miraculously born on December 5, 2009. A drunk driver stole her life on May 25, 2024. As tragic and horrific as her ending is, those who love and cherish her deeply choose to focus on the 5,285 days we were blessed to have her on this earth. Rose traveled the world, loved to laugh, and enjoyed having fun. She believed in fairness and justice for both animals and people. She was intelligent, spirited, sweet, funny, beautiful, and witty, with a sharp tongue. Her laugh was contagious, and her smile was like sunshine. Rose was a cuddlebug and affectionate with those she loved. She had opinions and thoughts on things most 14-year-olds do not, with wisdom beyond her years. In the short time she was here, she impacted so many lives and continues to do so as her father fights to reform drunk-driving legislation and street safety. My name is Dr. Fillmore Lewis Smiley IV. I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, M.A. in Forensic Psychology, A.A. in Addiction Studies, and B.S. in Business Administration. I hold a LAADC and an APCC. My area of expertise is substance abuse. I am Rose’s father. I am 56 years old. Rose was the light of my life, the center of my universe, the apple of my eye, and my reason for living. Since her death, I have started a charity in her honor to help other suffering families, Rosenda’s Gift. We were able to get May 25th officially designated as Rosenda Smiley Day in California, for all time, by an act of the California Legislature. I have championed Rosenda’s Law, which would reform drunk driving legislation by implementing research-supported interventions. I have also advocated for improved street safety where Rose was murdered, Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, by joining with Families for Safe Streets and promoting the Vision Zero Program (an empirically validated street safety movement). My goal is to create social change while creating a legacy for Rose, for she deserves to never be forgotten.
–Fillmore Smiley, Rosenda’s father