Maria Reymunda Chaides

Following the funeral, a Committal Service will take place at the same venue from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

"Maria Reymunda Chaides was a wonderful person—full of faith, strength, generosity, and love.

Maria was born on March 15, 1949, in a little town called El Valle de Las Palmas, in the northern part of Baja California, Mexico. She was born into a large, loving family. She was the daughter of Tiano Leon Gilbert and Maria Belen Alvarez, and one of 13 siblings. Throughout her life she always shared stories of life on the ranch. These stories were filled with hard work, laughter, faith, and resilience, defining who she is.

She always spoke of how she loved the ranch life, especially riding horses. Some of her favorite stories to share were about riding her horse to school and how she was the fastest rider of all. Later, she moved to the city of Tecate, where she experienced a different life but never lost the strength and values she learned growing up.

At just 16 years old, she came to California, carrying courage, determination, and faith with her. These qualities defined her for the rest of her life.

She was the proud mother of six children: Edgar, Rudy, Marisa, Marcos, Maribel, and Mariela. She was also a loving grandmother of twenty two grandchildren and great-grandmother of six great-grandchildren. Nothing brought her more pride and joy than her family.

If you knew Maria, you knew she was a warrior of God. She loved the Lord with all her heart and had unwavering faith. Maria was truly a faithful disciple. She read her Bible daily, prayed for hours, and fasted faithfully. If anyone ever needed prayer, she was already praying on their behalf, strongly, deeply, and without doubt in our lord. Her faith wasn’t just something she spoke about, it was how she lived, relentlessly up until the very end.

Maria was also a woman of style. Every outfit had a matching blazer, belt, earrings, and heels. It didn't matter if she was going to spend the day on the ranch or walking for hours, Maria was wearing heels. We cannot recall her ever owning a pair of tennis shoes. She especially loved long, dangling earrings, that you would hear jangle as she walked. She always believed in looking her best.

Her liveliness knew no end and you could see this in how passionately she felt about so many things in life. She loved swimming, the water, and driving. She used to say that when she was on the freeway, she felt unstoppable, like she could just fly. She didn’t just drive for herself, she drove everyone. Whether it was family, friends, sisters from church, or anyone who needed a ride, she had a heart that was always willing to help.

Maria left us on January 11, 2026, at the age of 76. While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life she lived, the love she gave, and the legacy she leaves behind. She will always be with us in our memories, our faith, and the values she passed down.

She will be missed more than words can express. We take comfort knowing she is now at peace and reunited with her Lord and Savior, watching over us with the same love she always had."