Maria J. Cabeza

At a young age, Maria was sent to Mexico City to live and work with her brothers. Her brothers worked in several Catholic churches applying gold leaf sheets to the accents on the columns, walls, and ceilings, known as “Decorado”. They often used her to reach the tighter and higher spaces.

In her teens, she worked in an Italian glass factory where they used 1-inch-colored tiles to create large decorative mosaics that were sold all over the world. While at the factory, she joined the labor party: Consejo Regional de Obreros Mexicanos, “La CROM” for short and their marching band.

Since Maria loved to sing, she participated in an amateur radio show of XEW am, where she got the chance to sing with the original trio, “Los Panchos.”

On February 12, 1956 Maria married Mike Cabeza. They were married for 58 adventurous years before Mike passed away on November 23, 2014. They spent their lives between Mexico, Tijuana and San Ysidro, but in 1968, they settled in Encinitas where they both eventually retired from the flower greenhouses at Robert R. Hall Inc.

While in Tijuana, Maria was instrumental in advocating for the installation of public lighting in la Colonia Libertad Parte Alta. She spearheaded meetings between housewives, political figures and the electric company to successfully arrange the installation of public lighting in that “Colonia.”

During the 70’s, Maria was a member of the United Farm Workers under the Guidance of Cesar Chavez. She marched for fair wages and for improvement of labor practices.

Maria was a very devout Catholic. In Mexico, she belonged to the Carmelite Order and in Encinitas, she become a parishioner of Saint John’s in 1968.

Maria loved to sing, travel, garden, make flower arrangements, complete wordsearches, watch the Avengers (Captain America was her favorite), and play “Loteria.” She enjoyed doing chair yoga, Qi Gong and go for walks in the park. She loved going to Disneyland and to Padres games. She liked to start her day with a Peet’s latte and wind down by watching sunsets at the beach, counting the pelicans or simply, enjoying a glass of wine or “Secco” (Prosecco).

On Sunday, August 29, Maria’s body could no longer keep up with her spirit. She passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by family. She is survived by her five children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild!