Maria Urbana Ponce

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Maria Urbana Ponce, age 90, who left this world peacefully on April 6, 2026. Born in Cataño, Puerto Rico, she moved to New York at age 18, where she raised her family and built a home filled with laughter, warmth, and the irresistible aroma of home-cooked meals and lots of dancing – a home where everyone knew they were welcome. She moved to Florida with her youngest daughter and spent her remaining years in Jacksonville, Florida. However, she often visited her two elder daughters in New Jersey whenever they needed her the most. She always managed to help out all of her children the best way she could. She lived a vibrant life devoted to God, family, food, and joy.

Maria was the devoted mother of four daughters, Zoraida, Liz, Marilyn and Vicky and was predeceased by her son, Carlos. She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the many family members and friends whose lives she touched. Despite being a single mother and suffering through many hardships, she made sure to teach her children good values and hard work. In many ways Maria was more than a mother. She was also her daughters’ best friend – their rock, partner in crime, confidant – becoming exactly who each of them needed at different moments in their lives. Each of her children was her favorite when they needed to be and she loved them so much.

Maria was Abuela to her grandchildren and to anyone who was introduced to her. Abuela’s laugh was contagious and her sense of humor brightened every room. She would say that laughter kept her young, which made sense, considering the many battles with cancer she won, and she always found a reason to smile and laugh through it, so she never looked her age. She knew God would get her through everything. She loved to joke, make others laugh, and listen to a variety of music from the salsa classics to ballads. You never left her house without her amazing coffee and delicious food. Cooking was her language of love – expressed in full plates, familiar recipes, and meals shared again and again. Her cooking was singular and irreplaceable – no one could recreate the comfort, flavor, and love she placed in every meal. She enjoyed cooking and eating Arroz con gandules, pasteles, coquito, and many other meals, learning recipes, crocheting, and making ordinary days feel special. She shared inside jokes especially with her daughters, from “tres minutos”, to “coge nota” to her imitation of La Comay, “he mencionado nombre yo?”

She was the steady pillar and guiding presence that kept the family together, present not just in celebrations, but in the quiet, difficult moments when her family needed her most. She helped raise her grandchildren, showing up in the everyday moments such as school days, work days, hard days, even ordinary evenings – always a steady, caring presence, ready to make you laugh or give you a plate of something delicious. Her grandchildren grew up hearing her stories of the past, enjoying her home-cooked meals, and knowing they were always loved. Abuela’s legacy is one of warmth, resilience, and an enduring commitment to family. The traditions she kept and the laughter she shared will live on in the hearts of those who loved her.

Maria Urbana Ponce taught those around her how to celebrate life, how to care for one another, and how one person’s love can hold a family together across generations. Her laughter, her recipes, and the warmth she gave so freely will remain with those who love her.