Teresa A. Coluchi

Teresa was educated in the West Virginia school system and graduated from Capital High School in 1992. She was a track and field star, played on her high school basketball team and was prom queen.

Her passion was always fitness and health, so she majored in kinesiology graduating cum laude in 1999, from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Health & Human Performance. She was a member and one-time president of the Phi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society. Teresa received her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2002. She continued her education by taking courses in emergency medical services and intermediate Spanish at the Community College of Baltimore, Essex, and Catonsville campuses.

As a PRN physical therapist, Teresa worked for various health organizations in the Baltimore metropolitan area, including Medstar Health, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and Sinai Hospital. She befriended so many of her co-workers, who remained connected to her and her family throughout the years and who were invaluable when she became ill.

On July 9, 2008, Teresa met Bernardo D. Coluchi at a salsa club. It was Bernardo’s 31st birthday, and, on that day, God gave him the most perfect present, his future wife. Bernardo says he used his suave dancing moves to attract the attention of a very attractive woman who he would soon discover was equally as beautiful on the inside. “There was something special about her,” he said. “Once we spoke, I was drawn to her welcoming personality.”

On December 4, 2009, Teresa and Bernardo were united in holy matrimony. They showed great love and respect for each other throughout their marriage. From this union, God blessed them with three lovely and adorable children, Maximo, Vanessa and Eliseo.

Without a doubt, the children were the light of Teresa’s eyes. She was an extremely attentive, patient and when she had to be a stern mother who decided to work part-time so that she could home school the children full-time. Teresa turned their basement into an amazing class-room and was committed to creating a bilingual curriculum in English and Spanish. One of her favorite topics to teach was history. “She wanted the children to learn about other people and their cultures,” Bernardo said.

She loved traveling and enjoyed finding new parks and places to take the children. Photography was another one of her passions. Wherever she went, she would have a camera slung over her shoulder ready to capture life’s precious moments. Teresa also wanted to know her family history, and from that curiosity she developed an interest in genealogy.

Teresa enjoyed reading, hiking, salsa dancing, arts and crafts and could put any professional organizer to shame. From the time you walked into the front door of Bernardo and Teresa’s home, you knew they had a zealous love for the Lord. Teresa decorated every room in their home with Scriptures and motivational quotes to encourage her friends and family.

She gave her life to Christ and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden (FBCG) in Prince George’s County, Maryland where she served in the Hospitality Ministry. Teresa also served together with Bernardo as Senior Partners for the Prosperity Partners Ministry (PPM). Ministry members admired and appreciated Teresa and Bernardo’s unwavering support. They traveled nearly an hour to FBCG to attend church services as well as monthly PPM meetings. Teresa was drawn to the financial program because she had a great desire to help others become good stewards of their money. She brought her gift of teaching to the ministry and helped so many individuals and couples find financial peace.

Teresa was passionate about veganism, and with a gentle spirit she sought to help others embrace healthier eating habits. She often sent links to videos and documentaries supporting a vegan lifestyle. She cared deeply for all God’s creatures.

Teresa had a loving, generous, and irresistible personality. Her smile would brighten any room and soften any heart. She saw the good and beauty in everyone she met. Every stranger was a friend. Teresa’s honesty, faith and kindness toward others were rare and remarkable gifts.

“Even in her worse times, when she could barely walk, Teresa would do her best to come downstairs,” Bernardo said. “I would rush to her side so that she wouldn’t fall but she would jokingly tell me to move aside. She would sit down and read her devotional bible and write in her journal.”

She wrote journal entries every day that she could, first listing the things she was grateful for. The last day Teresa was physically able to write in her journal, July 20, 2021, she wrote, “I am thankful for waking up.”

Teresa was strengthened and sustained by her faith in the Lord and by the encouragement and support of loved ones. She thanked God for every day she got to spend with her beloved husband, children, family members, neighbors, and friends.

Teresa is survived by and will be forever cherished by her devoted husband, Bernardo; three children, Maximo, Vanessa, and Eliseo; father, Michael Owens (Debra) of Los Angeles, CA; mother, Robin Morris of Charleston WV; father-in-law, Bernardino Coluchi (Raquel) of West Palm Beach, FL; mother-in-law,: Jeannette Blum of Gaithersburg, MD; brother, Jason Morris of Charleston, SC; two sisters, Joanne and Shannyn Owens both of Los Angeles; sister-in-law, Vanessa Coleman of San Diego, CA; brother-in-law, Guliano Coluchi -of Asuncion, Paraguay; aunts, Tassie Harris-Hare, Kim and Michelle Morris; uncles, Eric and Doug Owens, Donovan and Mark Morris; nieces, Ella Orquiola, Nasira Morris and Aria Gomez ; nephews, DaShawn, Kameron and Triston Morris, Laurenz Coleman and Jordan Coleman; cousin, Keith Morris; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Relatives and friends will gather at Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., 9705 Belair Rd., Nottingham MD 21236, on Friday, August 27, 2021, from 11:00 a.m.-12 Noon, with a Memorial Service at 12 Noon.

The family has requested that everyone that attends the Memorial Gathering and Service to wear a mask.