Marina Susan Flores

October 3, 1961 - April 28, 2024

Marina Flores, 62, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Sunday evening, April 28th, after a decades long struggle against the effects of a devastating autoimmune brain demyelinating disease which suddenly befell her in 1999 at the age of 37. She enriched many lives before her illness and after - family, friends, countless children and other clients as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor, and those of her many caregivers. Her innate kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and compassion persisted throughout her life despite her great health misfortune.

Marina was born in San José, California in 1961, graduated from James Lick High School in 1979 where she was a Song Girl on the cheerleading squad, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Spanish from San José State University in 1984. She then went on to earn a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Counseling in 1987 from San José State and obtained her license as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in 1990. Marina met her future life partner, Frank Quijada, in 1979 at the age of 17 while a senior in high school. Together for 37 years until Frank’s passing in 2016, they supported each other’s goals and dreams, traveled together to Europe, Mexico and Hawaii prior to her illness and had a very active social life, spending time with family and their many friends.

Marina was a counselor for 12 years for the County of Santa Clara at the Las Plumas Behavioral Health Clinic. She specialized in counseling abused and troubled teens and their families in both English and Spanish. She also served on the Santa Clara County Mental Health Bureau Crisis Response Team during the Oakland/Berkeley Hills fire in the Fall of 1991. There, working 10–12-hour days, she provided mental health expertise and essential coverage at the Red Cross shelters, command posts, and disaster assistance centers for both fire victims and emergency personnel. Before joining Las Plumas, and as a staunch supporter of a women's right to choose, she proudly worked as a counselor for Planned Parenthood of San Jose. Early in her career Marina also worked at Solari Recreation Center as a Recreational Leader where she would proudly bring her nieces and nephews to participate in summer camps and holiday activities.

Marina was the first in her family to obtain a four-year college degree. She served as a shining example and inspiration to numerous younger family members to pursue their own academic and career goals. Marina is survived by her siblings Debbie Lopez, Nick Lopez, Adam Flores, and Josie Rodriguez. She is survived by her sisters-in-law Helen Palumbo and Ching Mui and brother-in-law Garland Daniel. She is also survived by nieces Maria Lopez Coles, Sarah Lopez-Arreola, Melissa Daniel, Sabrina Garza-Hickam and nephews Nick Lopez Jr., Simon Lopez Jr., Garland Daniel Jr., and Brendan Lopez. She is also survived by great nieces, Alena Lopez, Gwen Daniel, Mariah Daniel, Melody Daniel, Emma Lopez, Hannah Perez, Sunny Lopez, Sarah Lopez, Kylie Hickam, Samantha Hickam, Abigail Hickam, Haley Burt, and Alyssa Webb and great nephews Gabriel Arreola, Mateo Arreola, Simon (Junior) Lopez, Donte Lopez, Jacob Alvarez, Nicholas Lopez, Travis Daniel, Jerry Burt, and Elijah Aragon. Marina is also survived by great-great nephews Kai Alvarez and Luca Alvarez. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sarah and Ray Flores, her life partner Frank Quijada, sisters Cathy Garza and Clara Daniel, brother-in-law Simon Lopez and niece Christina Garza.

Friends and family are invited to attend a brief grave-side service on Friday, May 17 at 11:00 AM at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in San Jose, followed by a memorial reception at the Drying Shed on Toyon Avenue. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations are made to Planned Parenthood or your local animal shelter.