Aurelia Maria Murillo

She was the person we all aspire to be—she served others before herself, listened more than she spoke, lived modestly but joyfully, and never asked another person to do work without rolling up her sleeves to join them. Aurelia was born in 1925 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As a young woman, she left the life she knew to immigrate to the United States where she made a new home with her late husband, Frank Murillo, and forged lasting friendships and a sisterhood and brotherhood with Dora Murillo, Angie Morton, Margaret Salinas, Mary Figueroa, Stella Valenzuela, Lois Apodaca and Joe Murillo and Henry Murillo. Aurelia built her life in America brick-by-brick, working hard while raising her children, tending to her rose garden, honing her legendary cooking skills at holidays and family dinners, and watching Mariners games every summer.

She died April 7, 2019 at the age of 94 and will be missed by all who knew her.

Aurelia is survived by her brothers and sisters in Mexico, four children, Gloria Rowley, Raul Murillo, David Murillo, and Yolanda Hamel, and, her four step-children Frank Murillo Jr. (deceased), Jesus Murillo, Dolores Murillo (deceased), and Josie Murillo, and her many grandchildren.