The Monsignor Edward Pace High School community gathered on the campus on Feb. 24 to remember Celia Rouco.
Called “beloved” and a “passionate advocate” in a dedication by Surella Rodriguez, the school’s director of Alumni Relations, Rouco died on May 25, 2025.
She was the advancement director and a presence for a decade at the Catholic school in Miami Gardens.
Rouco established scholarships, built annual fundraising campaigns and advanced Pace in countless ways by networking, with partnerships and her connections, Rodriguez said.
“Her vibrant humor, unmistakable elegance and gift for bringing people together made her one of a kind,” Rodriguez wrote.
Rouco oversaw the renovation of the Alumni Grove, and a corner of it was dedicated to her, Rodriguez said. The school created a place for reflection, with an engraved bench beneath a vine-covered arch.
Rouco’s daughters are Pace graduates: Carla Giberson, Class of 1999, who is the current Director of Counseling at the school and Christina Garcia, Class of 2004, a former teacher and class moderator at Pace.