Maria Antonieta Socarras passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 20, 2022, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Monday, February 28, 2022 at McLaren’s Chapel in West Des Moines with a visitation from 1 p.m. until service time at McLaren’s. Burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery.
Maria was born on February 15, 1930, in Havana, Cuba to the late Maria Antonia and Mario Sentmanat. She was the oldest of two daughters. Maria attended the University of Havana and majored in English. She moved to the United States (Iowa) in 1955 with her then husband, Alfredo Socarras and together had seven children.
Maria had a love for traveling, learning different languages, classical music, teaching, sports, photography, and was a steward for the Latino community. She genuinely loved life. In the 1980s, Maria furthered her education at Drake University to obtain her teaching certificate in Spanish, French and English as a second language, and graduated Cum Laude. She was not only fluent in her native language, Spanish, but also in French, German, Italian and English. Maria worked for the Iowa Refugee Service Center and helped many fellow Cubans, who fled Cuba in the 1980s, to find jobs and housing in Des Moines. She was a substitute teacher for many years with Des Moines Public Schools and also translated for the Des Moines and West Des Moines Police Departments.
Maria leaves to cherish her loving memory seven children, Alfred (Rhonda) Socarras, Vivian Bartlett, Noni Socarras, Tania Socarras, Julie (Mike) McDermott, Daniel (Karla) Socarras, Patricia (Eric) Pack; 16 grandchildren, Matthew and Christopher Ford and Meredith Brown, Lee Bartlett, Camille Socarras, Laura (Daniel) Olson, Daniel, Anne and Renee Socarras, Morgan and Erin DeHeer, Kalista and Danielle Socarras, Emily, Sarah and Megan Pack; and several great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Maria Elena Vazquez; and grandson, Christopher Ford.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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