Maria Leonida Martinez

Maria Leonida Martinez, nee Balboa Serrano, 84, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away on Saturday, October 24, 2020. She was at the Running Springs, CA home of her daughter Maurya, who was caring for her after she contracted Covid-19 in Albuquerque. She survived Covid but succumbed to the complications caused by the virus.

She is survived by her son, Reynaldo Serrano (his wife, Aleli) of Washington; her daughters Maria Martinez (her husband, Brian Gresham) of New Mexico; Maurya Krista of California; and Annette Martinez (her husband, Jeff Sumlin) of New Mexico; her grandchildren Tiffany, Aaron, Rex, Elycia, Shane, Rachel, Elizabeth, Emilianna, Ranele, Brandon, Brianna, Michael, Annaleigh and Richard, and her great-grandson Panashe.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Thomas Robert Martinez, of Santa Fe, NM; a son Boy Serrano of Manila, PHL; her parents (below) and her brothers Modesto and Lecerio Balboa Serrano, and her sisters Natividad Serrano Magtoto and Avelina Serrano Tandiama, all of the Philippines.

She was born on April 25, 1936, in the Santa Cruz district of Manila on the Island of Luzon, PHL to father, Macario David Serrano of Betes Pampanga, PHL and mother, Tarcila Serrano nee Vergara Balboa of Apalit Pampanga, PHL

As a child in the Philippines during WWII, her family escaped the ravages of war because her father worked for the railroad and they rode the rails away from the fighting. However her mother died during this time. Mom once said that her mother died of malnutrition because she gave up her food portions to her five children so that they would survive. After the war, her father married a younger woman thinking his children needed a mother, but the stepmom catered to her own children and ignored mom and her siblings. She said that her siblings were left to support each other.

Not much is known about her time between the remainder of her childhood and meeting her husband, Thomas, when she worked in the records department at Clark Air Force Base on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They married in 1962. She never talked about it, but she gave birth to two sons prior to meeting Thomas.

She graduated from the Angeles Fashion School of Manila in of Dec 1963 with two diplomas: one in Beauty Culture and another in Hair Science. In 1976, she received her high school diploma from SHAPE, American School in Mons, Belgium.

As a military spouse, she lived in the Philippines, Turkey, Belgium, and many cities in the US. She made fast friends and kept in touch with most of them until death. During this time, she went by, Leonida or Lucy. While Thomas was in the service, she volunteered, joined clubs, bowled, and took art classes on base. In 1979 Thomas retired from the Army and the family moved to Albuquerque, NM. In Albuquerque she started going by Maria. Within weeks of moving to New Mexico, she met a woman who worked at a discount bread store and became part of her friends’ group. They remained friends until the day mom died. She joined the Filipino American Association and took classes at Westside Community Center. It was during the recession when Thomas was underemployed, that Maria went to work as a salad maker at Furr’s Cafeteria to help the family make ends meet. She worked there until 1985 when Thomas got a job with the State Department in the Secret Service, and she was off again to travel the world. Tragically, these plans were cut short as Thomas died of a heart attack in 1987 while working at the US Embassy in Australia. After his death Maria remained in Albuquerque. She was only 50 years old. She went back to spending time with her old friends and made many more through the years. She cared for her grandkids while her children were at work. She volunteered at the KAFB Widows’ Association, the St Charles Book Nook, the Madonna House, and the Senior Affairs Department for the City of Albuquerque. She took art and exercise classes at the various community centers. She kept fit by gardening, walking, and dancing.

Maria was naturally creative. Taking just beginners’ classes in drawing, painting, crochet, ceramics, tin work, and photography, most of her final projects were worthy and placed among the luxurious, exotic furnishings and decor she acquired during her travels.

If there was a Catholic Church Fiesta, American Legion or Senior Center dance, she was there with a smile on her face. She dressed in that signature Maria style, full face makeup, frilly dress, some sort of heels, bow in her hair, and hands and arms covered in jewelry. And she looked gorgeous.

In her sixties she decided to downsize so she would not have to work. She sold her model home with her beautiful rose garden and lived a smaller life. From this time and until the start of the pandemic, she watched her grandkids until they grew up, volunteered, gardened, danced, played mahjong and cards. She saved her money and she and her friends (crammed four of five to the room) would go on an annual cruise.

The pandemic was hard on her. She was cut off from her friends and her volunteer work that meant so much to her. Her daughter and her granddaughter cared for her during this time. They always had to be watching her to keep her from sneaking out. Although other family members visited, she was missing her social life and her friends.

On April 25, 2025, more than four years after her death, Maria will finally be laid to rest with her husband. Her interment with Thomas will be a small affair as we understand not everyone is able to make the trip to Santa Fe.

Interment:

Date: April 25, 2025

Time: 9:50 am procession line up 10:00 am to 10:30 am service

Where: Santa Fe National Cemetery, 501 N Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501