Maria Norma Sandoval

When Maria Norma Sandoval walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Maria was and how she impacted those around her. Maria was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Maria wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Maria was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of Jose Cota and Maria del Socorro Villa. Maria was raised in Tijuana Mexico and Santa Ana, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Maria might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Maria was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Maria was raised with 11 brothers and sisters. Her brothers; Luis, Carlos, Joe, George, Guermo, Jose and Miguel, and her sisters; Nelli, Margaret, Dora and Alicia. Maria was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Maria was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Maria well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Maria was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Maria was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Maria took part in Volleyball. In her spare time she loved Dancing. Maria had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Maria responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Santa Ana High School in 1967. Maria was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Maria absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Maria, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Maria a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything.

Maria attended Beauty School for several years and enjoyed that very much.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Maria was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Maria was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. Maria had many friends throughout the years, almost too many to mention.

Maria's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Mariano Antonio Sandoval's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Maria was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Maria was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Maria, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Sandoval home. Maria's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Maria was blessed with four children: three sons; Mariano Arturo, Marco, daughter in law, Kim and Miguel and one daughter; Myrna. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Alex, Troy, Raina, Paris and Mariah.

Maria was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her occupation was a self employed health giver and caretaker and had a cleaning service for the elderly and others. She was employed for over 40 years throughout her life. Knowing Maria was such a blessing. She gave so much to those in need and loveingly provided for others, even if it meant she would go without.

Because Maria loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue her favorite hobby which was Dancing. Maria had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Maria's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Maria was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Roman Catholic Church for 62 years. During that time, she attended many Cursillo's. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Maria's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Maria took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Bahamas, Mexico, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs and Puerto Rico.

Maria Sandoval passed away on April 8, 2010 at Parkview Hospital in Riverside, California. Maria fought a brave battle with heart and kidney failure from complications of diabetes. She is survived by her husband, Mariano; her children, Mariano Arturo, Marco, daughter in law, Kim, Miguel and Myrna; her grandchildren, Alex, Troy, Raina, Paris and Mariah. Visitation was held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Rosary recited at 6:00 pm at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Chapel, 11500 Arlington Avenue, Riverside, CA. Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 10:00 am at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 3760 McKinley Street, Corona, CA. Services entrusted to Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Mortuary, Riverside, CA. Maria was laid to rest privately by her family.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Maria. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Maria Sandoval for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Maria was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.