Luisa Cordoba

Luisa was born in Alajuela, Costa Rica in 1948 to Guillermo and Soledad Cordoba Lopez-Palma; she had 17 siblings. As one of the older children, she was tasked with the great responsibility of being a financial provider and mother figure for her younger siblings. In 1975, at the age of 26, with very little money and her 2-year-old son by her side, she left Costa Rica in search of a better life in the United States. Her journey was not an easy one, but through hard work, determination, and support from her family, Luisa was able to build a new life for her and her son Daybeth in America. They eventually settled down in San Jose, California, the place she would call home for the rest of her life. After becoming a resident of the United States, she played a pivotal role in bringing the rest of her family from Costa Rica.

Luisa spent over a decade working in the upholstery industry during her early years in America. She later took a job working at the VA in Palo Alto in 1991. Inspired by her brother Armando’s service as a Vietnam veteran and Green Beret, Luisa had a strong passion for helping veterans and she truly loved her work. She often extended this help after work hours, on her own time, out of the goodness of her heart. After 28 years of service Luisa retired from the VA in 2019. This gave her the opportunity to spend more time with her beloved family and precious doggies.

Family was everything to Luisa. She and her only son Daybeth shared a deep and special bond. Through the years, mom and son enjoyed many vacations back to Costa Rica to visit family, a few road trips to Disneyland, and together they created many memories. They were each other’s constant, sticking together through all the highs and lows of life.

In 2000, Luisa became a grandmother for the first time when her son Daybeth and his wife Tina welcomed their daughter Janessa into the world, followed by their son Devon in 2005. Becoming a grandmother, or “Abuelita” as they called her, brought Luisa so much joy into her life and she cherished every moment spent with her grandchildren. Janessa and Devon were the loves of her life, and she will forever be their loving Abuelita.

Luisa met her husband German in 2002 at a salsa club in San Francisco. After he courted her for several months, she decided to give the relationship a try—and the rest was history. What started as a fun night out led to her finding her lifelong partner. They spent the next 23 years building a life together-dancing, raising their fur babies, enjoying time with family, and taking many walks together.

There were many things Luisa enjoyed throughout her life. She had an extensive collection of hummingbirds, loved treating herself to get her hair and nails done, watching the Buffalo Bills and Warriors play, playing Uno, and listening to salsa music - often dancing to it while at home or in the car. She took pride in looking her best and was always impeccably put together.

Having a heart of gold and willingness to help others are just a few of the things Luisa will be remembered for. Although she endured a lot of pain and difficult times in her early years, she did not allow it to defeat her. Luisa always believed in loving others and treating everyone with respect. She had tremendous and unwavering faith in God and was a true warrior who fought courageously until the very end. Her absence leaves a void no one else can fill, but her love and the memories she leaves behind will remain forever with those who loved her.

Luisa is survived by her husband German Mairena; son Daybeth Cordoba and daughter-in-law Tina Cordoba; her two grandchildren, Janessa and Devon; her five sisters, Cristina, Rome, Lidiette, Patricia, and Maricruz; two brothers Ronald and Carlos, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Soledad and Guillermo as well as her brothers Melvin and Armando.

Our family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation in her honor to the following organizations:

www.lls.org

https://www.lymphoma.org

www.stjude.org

https://standuptocancer.org

www.cancer.gov/

A visitation for Luisa will be held Tuesday, July 1, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 North Winchester Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050, followed by a celebration of life at 6:00 PM.