Mariefe Garcia Gaydos

Mariefe “Anna” Gaydos of Goodyear, Arizona, passed away on September 5, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 53. She was born on November 19, 1970, in Pangasinan, Philippines, to her late parents Segundino and Estrella Garcia. She is survived by her beloved husband, Mark Gaydos; her sons, Jericho, Samael, and Timothy; her sisters, Tess Gartner, Divina Garcia, Evelyn Garcia, Susan Barbosa, Hilda Cayabyab, and Zeny Garcia; and her brothers, Bong Garcia and Jerome Garcia. Anna is also survived by her two grandchildren, Kathleen and Prudence, as well as her extended family and friends.

Anna was born in the Philippines and spent her early years there. In 1991, she moved to the United States with her sister Tess and later settled in Las Vegas, where she met many great friends who became her second family. She met her husband, Mark, in 1995, and they welcomed their first son, Jericho. The family then moved to Aviano, Italy, where they had twins, Samael and Timothy. After Mark’s assignment in Italy, the family lived at Hill AFB in Utah, then at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, and finally at Luke AFB in Phoenix. Despite calling Arizona home, Anna’s love for travel took her on road trips across the U.S. and international trips to places such as Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. She also made several visits back to the Philippines to reconnect with her homeland and family. Anna's passion for travel was matched by her outgoing and friendly nature, always bringing laughter and joy wherever she went.

As a person, Anna was strong-willed, caring, and ambitious—traits she shared with her family and friends. Her love for others was evident in the connections she made around the world.

We are going to miss all her little updates, her laugh, and her smile. Now she is on a journey that we can’t follow. But we know that she will be taken care of.

Thank you for everything. You were our world.