Mary (Maria) A. Almaraz, age 83, passed away on March 8, 2018, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Mary, wife of Rogelio Z. Almaraz, was born on October 16, 1934, in Kyle, Texas to Esteban Araujo and Sabina Ontiveros. She married her husband, Rogelio, on July 1st, 1956 in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in San Antonio.
Mary was preceded in death by her son Ronnie, and husband, Rogelio Z. Almaraz.
She is survived by her children Roger and wife Elida, Roland, Rodney, Michelle and wife Crystal and her grandchildren Buster, Annie, Elsie, PJ, Blanco, Ajax, Marichela, Little Roy, Silvie and Chela.
Mary loved her sweets, loved gardening, loved her various cats through the years, and most of all loved her children. She was an old-school strict disciplinarian who taught her children well the difference between right and wrong.
After she was done with her studies, Mary went right to work at various jobs but most notably worked for several years at Judson Candy Company of San Antonio. She loved downtown San Antonio and through her working years often spent 6 days a week downtown for either work or to visit her favorite shops including the now-defunct Kress, Woolworth’s, Sears, Solo Serve and her favorite Mexican food restaurant Alberto’s. She was also a regular visitor to the newsstands by the Alameda theater that sold Spanish language magazines. Her children also fondly remember taking the bus with her downtown on Saturdays and having hot dogs for lunch at Coney Island on St. Mary’s street. Her older boys remember Mom taking them downtown to see President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade when he visited San Antonio in 1963.
Mary (Maria) A. Almaraz will be missed so much by her family. She was a great cook, a supportive mother, grandmother, and wife. She was not a perfect woman, but she always did the best she could. She can rest peacefully now that the pain is gone from her body, but her spirit remains with every breath her children take.
Visitation will be 6-8 pm on Sunday, April 1st, 2018 at Sunset Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be at 12:15 pm, Monday, April 2nd, at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the San Antonio Humane Society, www.sahumane.org.
