Brenda M. Rooney

Brenda Rooney arrived in Los Angeles from Belfast in Northern Ireland many years ago.

Pacific Palisades is where she loved working as a hair and makeup artist. She quickly attracted a large clientele, not only with her skills as an artist, but her quality of love and warmth that permeated every soul she met.

In 2012 she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. This began a series of treatments, ranging from major surgery to many rounds of chemotherapy. She traveled back to Northern Ireland and underwent treatments closer to her family.

But the call of the Pacific coast had her right back within a year or so, and the scissors came along for the ride. She picked up where she left off as she wanted to “make a go of it.”

In 2014 she found out her cancer had spread, and so she took it on and pressed forward … working and touching hearts along the way, always putting others before her own interests. She was always a giver and gave until she had to see to her own wellness.

After exhausting and quite debilitating treatments, she mustered up enough strength to return to Belfast to spend the last days of her journey with her family and support system in October 2017.

With her four suitcases and scissors in tow, she stood at the front door of her residence with little left but her fierce courage and determination.

She spent Christmas with her parents and her brother John, who she called her child, and having pizza and her first kebab (kebob) with her two nephews, Ben and Conor. It was all she needed after nearly six years of fighting the good fight.

Always living life on her terms, she resolved to discontinue treatments earlier in the year and moved into a hospice earlier in the year. She touched everyone she met, including the top medical consultant, who shared his lament personally by driving to her home of residence and talking with her with relatives, something that only rarely occurs.

With her entire family by her side, Brenda peacefully passed at 1:30 p.m. on March 14.  The family thanks everyone who helped her along on her journey.

Condolences may be left at legacy.com/obituaries/name/brenda-rooney-obituary?pid=188477980&view=guestbook.

The world has lost a warrior with a heart of gold, a stylist by trade but a mender of hearts by profession. Let us live with what she left us … a better look in the mirror and an even better heart.