Maria Coco Vazquez

Maria Vazquez, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Maria, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Maria really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Her parents were Mariano Vaca Barragan and Maria Elena Ventura Jimenez. Maria was raised in Zamora, Michoacan. Even as a child, Maria had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Maria was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Maria managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Maria was raised with eleven siblings. She had four brothers, Sergio Javier, Francisco, Cecilio Ignacio and Mariano Jr. and six sisters, Maria de Lourdes, Maria Elena, Maria Concepción, Maria and Gema Laura.

All of Maria's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Maria experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in volleyball and bowling. In her spare time she liked comic books.

Maria simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Maria, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Maria's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory". She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was history. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mother Beatrice.

Maria reveled in her college years, where her imagination could run free. She was viewed by many of her classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Maria was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. She was a jovial person who loved to share her passion for fun with others. But for Maria, life was not a case of all play and no work. Maria relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. She earned her certificate at Paris Nachos Beauty School. She also pursued graduate school, earning her certificate as Master Hairstylist in 1965. Her favorite course was hair color.

Maria never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Maria to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Maria delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Maria was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Maria utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends was Lola (Dolores Fuentes). Later in life, she remained friends with Lola. Maria loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Maria very easy to approach. In February of 1973 Maria exchanged wedding vows with Jose Luis Vazquez at Iglesia el Salvador of Los Angeles, CA. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Maria related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Maria was blessed with three, two daughters, Sandra and Ruby and one son, Jose L. Jr. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, Tiffany Marie McNeil, Mark Andrew McNeil, Vanessa Leann McNeil, Lexy Nicole McNeil, Brandon Allen McNeil and Christopher James Horn. Maria had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Maria's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Maria had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Maria was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Maria liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Maria was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Maria's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Maria as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was as homemaker. She was homemaker for over 21 years.

Maria enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Maria liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were croche, floral arrangements and knitting. Maria was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Maria recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of St. Christopher Catholic Church for over 21 years. During that time, she was a Eucharistic minister, member of El Sembrador, member of Los Heraldos de la Paz and consecrated member of Los Dos Corazones de Jesus y Maria ministry.

Living life in the fast lane suited Maria just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included visiting Tijuana, Ensenada, San Felipe, Mexico.

Maria was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Maria's favorites was El Gordo, mutt. They were best friends for 1 year. Her family was rounded out by her 4 cockatoos and 6 parakeets.

Maria believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1991, Maria took it in stride as one more way to have fun. Her new life involved relocating to retiring to Moreno Valley, CA. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Maria remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in staying active in church, serving the Lord and volunteering to provide spiritual help to others. Even in retirement, Maria continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Maria passed away on November 27, 2010 at home with her family. She bravely fought cancer for 5 years. She is survived by her loving husband, Jose; her children, Sandra, Ruby and Jose Jr.; her grandchildren and her four brothers. Services were held at Our Lady Queen of Peace All Souls Chapel. Maria was laid to rest in Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Maria brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Maria Vazquez lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.