Estella Espinoza Baca

Littleton, Colorado

Estella E. Baca of Littleton, Colorado, passed away surrounded by the love of the family she built and held together for so many years. She was a strong, independent woman who led with a firm hand and an even bigger heart — the kind of mother whose word was law, and whose love was never in question.

Estella was a devoted stay-at-home mom while her children were young, giving them the steady foundation that shaped who they became. As they grew, she stepped into work she cared about deeply, serving as a Parent Programmer for the Head Start children's program before spending many years working in retail.

She lived life fully and surrounded by people she loved. She bowled in a league with family and friends, occasionally hit the golf course, and took cake decorating classes so she could make the cakes for every family celebration herself. In the kitchen she was in her element — famous among her family for her beans and green chile, and for a pot roast and gravy nobody could turn down. And on Sundays in the fall, she was a Denver Broncos fan through and through, cheering them on loud enough for the whole house to hear.

Estella was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Daniel Baca, Sr.; her parents, Manuel and Louise Espinoza; and her sisters Bertha (Becky) Gillespie, Esther Lucero, and Nancy Jaramillo.

She is survived by her children, Teresa Martinez (David), Daniel Baca, Jr. (Katherine), and Renee Mascarenas (Victor); her brothers, Benito and Reynaldo Espinoza; her grandchildren, Daniel III, Nicole (William), Michael, Sarah (Lloyd), and Joshua; and nine great-grandchildren who brought her endless joy.

Estella's firm hand taught her family strength, and her loving touch taught them what it means to be family. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.