Myrtle Maxine Escamilla, born January 10, 1946 in Mountainhome, Arkansas went by many names: Maxine, Max, Mom, and Grandma, but never Myrtle. She only tolerated one person calling her that – her husband of 39 years, Frank.
Maxine was a tell-it-like-it-is lady who rarely filtered her words, had a dry sense of humor, and sometimes (un)intentionally offended the faint of heart. She loved music, dancing and spending time with those she loved. Maxine always described herself as shy growing up, but it was obvious that faded with time. She was selective with her friendship, but would do anything for those that made it to her short list of dear friends.
Max, known mostly by her family, was a truth teller and didn’t sugar coat it when someone was acting up. With eight siblings, the quarreling between them seemed brow-raising to outsiders, but there was a strong bond that they shared, and she found herself in the referee position more than once.
She was also Fun Aunt Max that loved to hear about the comings and goings of her nieces and nephews, would send birthday cards and always opened her home when someone came to town.
Mom. The small group that got to call her Mom were her three children: John, Laurie and Christopher. She was also Mom to her bonus children gained through marriage (step and in-laws). She worked hard to provide for her kids and instilled in them a great work ethic. She shared her love of music with impromptu dance parties in the kitchen, was a poet, an artist and singer of silly songs. She never shied away from a challenge and showed them that the secret of life was finding joy in all the little things.
Grandma was her most loved name. For those that lived close, she was their #1 fan in the audience of countless dance recitals, school plays, award assemblies, graduations, and sporting events. She was not afraid to be the bleacher coach, and no one was surprised to find out she protested and raised a stink when a grandkid was benched during a basketball game.
She shared her love of music with them as well. So much so that she single-handedly turned at least three of her grandchildren into life-long fans of Boy George and ABBA. She always had a snack and a craft for the kids to do when they visited. Grandma and Grandpa spent countless weekends throughout the years taking the grandkids to zoos, farms, beaches and museums creating memories that the kids still talk about today.
Maxine was a fighter until her passing, April 27, 2024 in Valencia, California. She did not want to be remembered with sadness. Instead she insisted her life be celebrated with happy memories, shared stories, and above everything else, laughter.
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