Maria E Ortiz

Helen married Faustino (Tino) Ortiz Jr. in 1959. In 2017, just days before their 58th wedding anniversary, Tino preceded her in death.

Together, Helen and Tino raised their daughter Alisa near Helen’s childhood home. They loved watching her grow up and were overjoyed when they were able to do the same with their only grandson Christopher.

Helen was a stay-at-home mom who mastered many crafts. She loved ceramics, macramé, sewing, crochet, painting, and knitting and was also an avid gardener. From their hard work, Helen and Tino enjoyed their well-manicured yard and beautifully decorated home. For most of their marriage, they managed on a tight budget. However, because of Helen’s creativity and ability to cook well, the family never lacked good meals.

After Helen lost her Tino to cancer and her home to Hurricane Harvey on the same day, Helen moved to a senior independent living apartment and made a new life for herself with good friends and kind employees at the complex. She then moved to live with Alisa and Christopher in November 2024, which she loved. Helen especially loved the time she spent with Christopher, who found a gadget or solution for nearly every one of her senior challenges. She was always moved by his attention and love for her.

Because of health challenges, she lost a lot of her fine motor skills, which took her away from crafts. Overcoming her disappointment, she dedicated herself to jigsaw puzzles. In the year-and-a-half she lived with Alisa and Christopher, she assembled nearly 30.

Helen was the last of her siblings. She was preceded in death by her brothers and sisters-in-law Mike and Katy Echauri and Refugio and Adela Echauri. She was also predeceased by her sister Maria Christina Echauri Ortiz and son-in-law Jeffrey Hemker.

Helen is survived by her daughter Alisa Hemker and grandson Christopher Tristan; nieces Sylvia (Kenny) Swatzel, Cyndi (Louie) Martinez, Denise Echauri, Laura (Paul) Elton, and Barbara Swatzel; nephews Edward (Becky) Echauri, Pete Ortiz, Fred Ortiz Jr., Charles (Sharla) Ortiz, and Mike Echauri; as well as many great-nieces and -nephews.

Helen would not feel her obituary to be complete without noting how much she loved every one of her family members.

Helen also had a special place in her heart for the Moreno family, long-time next-door neighbors who were also family: Adela and the late Pedro Moreno and their children John (Diana) Moreno, Pete (Rosemary) Moreno, Laura Moreno, Beatriz (Mark) Bumgarner, and Linda (Eric) Pocevic, as well as their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Thank you to VITAS Hospice Care, Helen’s kind and gentle geriatric doctor Dr. Ronald Taylor and his nurse Judy, and caregivers Irma Cervantes and Andrea Campos for their wonderful attention and care. The family will be forever grateful.