Pauline Jeannette Villa

Pauline Jeannette Villa, 88, of Gardnerville, Nevada, peacefully passed away in her home September 25, 2021. In the months, days, and hours prior to her passing, she was surrounded by family. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 22, 1933 to her parents Evaristo “Bill” and Gregoria Alvarez. She was the youngest child and adored her brother George Alvarez and sister Marcella Lopez, all who preceded her in death. The love of her life-her husband, Albert Villa, preceded her on October 29, 2015. She was at peace knowing she would be with him again.

She leaves behind her three children; Son David Marquez and his wife Elsa; Their children Kari Anne and Kristopher; Great Granddaughter Aleiya, kari Anne’s Daughter; her daughter Debbie, her husband Brad Orvik, whom she lived with; Son’s Jon-Paul and Adam Palmer and great-grandson Isaac-Jon-Paul’s son. Her son Derek Marquez and partner Tonya; Derek’s daughter Tara; Great-Grandchildren Sara and Tanner-Tara’s children Heather, Ella, and Landon; Albert’s daughter Anna and her husband John. Their Children Lauren and Brian Shields; Alberts Daughter Rosanna (whom preceded her,) her daughter Sandra and her husband Josh; Their children Clarke and Claire White. She also leaves behind numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. Last, but not least, Pauline leaves behind her beloved cats, Missy and Pippin and her best buddy, our dog, Max, who preceded her in death just four days before her passing.

Pauline was a member of St. Gall Catholic Church in Gardnerville. She made many friends from church and loved attending mass there. She joined a group who made rosaries and took pride in making them. For several years she volunteered at the yearly rummage sale.

She met her best friend Alicia Velez through her church. Through the years they were the best of friends and considered each other sisters. They would spend hours at lunch or breakfast talking and laughing. They met each other’s families and enjoyed spending an occasional weekend together or taking a road trip to California.

Pauline loved her rose garden at her home she shared with her husband Al in Diamond Bar, Ca. She also enjoyed attracting many colorful hummingbirds to her yard. She loved them both so much that she and Al drove to Baja, California and had a huge stained glass insert with roses and hummingbirds custom made for the large window they had at home. She loved the way it turned out.

Pauline was such an animal lover, that she allowed an occasional family of raccoons or possums to live under the deck in her backyard in Diamond Bar. She was the “mom” to several cats that “adopted” her. She owned several Persian cats, whom she loved dearly. She loved living in Carson Valley because of all of the cows, horses, donkeys, and goats that live all around us. Once we stopped by a ranch because she loved seeing the cute donkeys and goats that lived there. The rancher kindly gave us a tour and allowed her to talk to and pet his livestock. Her friend Louise from church, invited her to visit her ranch where she had goats. She got to see all of the wild mustangs running free. She loved all of that!!!

She loved the drives, hikes, and day camping she did with Debbie, Brad, and Max in Lake Tahoe. She loved the beautiful surrounding area- always ready with a fast smile for a photo to document the day. Pauline would stay with her son David for a month or more each year. She loved hanging out with him in the lanai by his pool sipping a cup of tea that his wife Elsa made for her. She loved cooking and laughing with Elsa. She was so dear to her. She loved visiting and shopping with her granddaughter Kari Anne and spending one on one time with her Grandson Kristopher when she would go to Florida. She enjoyed talking to her granddaughters Tara and Heather on the phone and catching up with their lives. They helped take care of her along with Kari in her final days. The granddaughters would visit her and she would see them on her trips to Florida. It was always special to her. She would spend time with Derek and his family in Panama City Beach. They would make a vacation out of it by staying at some cool Airbnb. She watched her grandsons Jon-Paul and Adam grow up since they lived the closest to her. She looked forward to spending summers, other holidays, and Christmas opening presents, having a feast, or evening watching football together. She was also known for her delicious fudge that she tried to sure to send to the grandkids at Christmas. When she went to Albuquerque, she would visit with her nieces Rosalie Spinello and Kathy Alvarez who she loved very much and had a close relationship with. She missed a trip to Spain due to COVID. She made sure to follow all of the guidelines to keep herself and her family safe.

Her favorite phrase to say when she was surprised by something was “Holy Guacamole!” Which always brought a smile to our faces. She was never without a smile on her face. She fought her illness bravely. She loved hard and touched the lives of all who met her. She was so very loved by all of her family. We will all greatly miss her.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fitzhenrysfuneralhome.com for the Villa family.