Maria Azucena Barrios

Maria (Sara) Azucena Barrios, of La Mesa, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at Good Samaritan Retirement Home in El Cajon, California, at the age of 95. She was born on March 17, 1928, in Girardot, Colombia, to Ricardo and Christina Alarcon.

Maria arrived in the United States in 1958 with her husband, Pedro, and two children and settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, when she was 30. She worked as a seamstress for over 40 years, then ran a home daycare until her retirement at the age of 65. In her retirement, she enjoyed traveling, cooking, and especially spending precious moments with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Those who knew Maria knew she had a big heart for including everyone in whatever she was doing - whether it was taking a shot of tequila, having a slice of her favorite pie of the week, preparing and sharing a meal, or just sitting down to watch a novela (Latin soap opera) on TV. One of her greatest passions was gardening. She would spend countless hours in her garden talking to and nurturing her plants, even when her arthritis was acting up.

Maria was predeceased by her husband, Pedro Emiro Barrios. She is survived by her four children: Jeanie Benet and her husband, Juan Carlos; Nelson Barrios; John Barrios and his wife, Lori; and Jally Gamboa and her husband, Ken. She leaves behind her grandchildren: Vanessa (and husband, Miguel), Adriana (and wife, Barbara), Jessica, Carlos, Christina (and husband, Ben Fuu), Jonathan (and wife, Adriana), Desiree (and husband, Bradley), Cassandra (and husband, Daniel) and Estefan; and ten great-grandchildren: Michael, Anthony, Gianna, Zoë, Noah, Mia, Lucas, Sebastian, Gabriel and Isabel.

Services will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Jamul, California, on August 29 at 2:00 PM. The family requests attendees wear bright colors in honor of Maria's vibrant personality and love of life.