Mary Florence de Santos

Mary Florence de Santos, 97, passed away peacefully August 21, 2021. She was born in Starville, Michigan on April 18,1924. She was married to Raymond for 56 years. The family moved to Arizona in 1963. Mary is survived by her daughter, Cherryl Bub of Phoenix; her son, Gary de Santos of New Jersey; her brother, Ivan Lucas of Florida; her sister, Mary Dawn Bombardo of Michigan; three grandchildren; Rochelle Hicks, Derek Bub, Matthew de Santos.Three great grandchildren, Jonas, Delaney, and Savannah.

Mary was a survivor from the time she was born. She only weighed 3 1/2 pounds and was not expected to live, but her strong will and determination proved the doctors wrong. After graduating from high school, she met the love of her life while working at the post office. She was married to Ray for 56 years and they had two children. In1963 the family relocated to Arizona.

Mom was a loving wife mother who cared deeply for her family. She was foundation who carried us through many challenging times. As dad would say, she was our angel. She was a true inspiration to everyone around her and she never met a stranger. She was devoted to making life better for family and friends. Once you looked into those beautiful sparkling blue eyes, you knew you had a true and trusted friend forever. Mom was a proud volunteer for local hospitals for many years. She always enjoyed cheering up patients, providing a little extra tender loving care when someone was in need.

Mom was an excellent cook who enjoyed creating something new and delicious. One of her specialities was homemade pumpkin bread which she would bake each year for family and friends.

She always had a song in her heart, and in her later years karaoke became an important part of her life. Every Wednesday she would look forward to sharing her favorite songs with her friends and family. She wore special shirts to commemorate every major holiday, and she would research songs to celebrate each occasion. She was very proud to be an American and her patriotism was unquestionable.

Mom was a woman of faith. She built her life around God and she always knew that he would be there to support her. She attended church regularly and was loved and respected.

Our mom will always be remembered for her caring spirit with a zest for life. She had a special gift for encouraging others to live life to the fullest. Her tenacity and determination always guided her decisions. She never quite understood why her friends nicknamed her “Firecracker”!

She was a true inspiration to others, and a role model to all.

She will be greatly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of getting to know her. She has left a void in our lives that no-one will ever be able to fill, but hopefully her wisdom and knowledge will be passed down for generations to come. Rest peacefully dearest beloved mom, we know you are in heaven surrounded by our loved ones and we will all be together again.

In lieu of flowers. The family asks for any donations to go to Hospice of the Valley.