Maria Luisa Garcia Padilla

(Maria) Luisa Garcia Padilla passed away peacefully on Friday, July 31, 2015 to reunite in spirit with husband, Abdon William "Bill" Padilla, Sr. and all her loved ones who previously passed away. She died on a beautiful day at home with family members present. At 96 years of age, she was born on October 9, 1918, in Ingleside, CO.

Viewing will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive St., Ft. Collins, CO 80524; Rosary will be held at 7pm, Thursday, August 13, 2015; and Mass at 10am, Friday August 14, 2015, both at Holy Family Catholic Church, 326 N. Whitcomb St. (corner of Cherry and Whitcomb), Ft. Collins, CO 80521.. Immediately after will be the internment ceremony at Grandview Cemetery followed by a reception to celebrate her life at Holy Family Church Hall basement.

She follows her parents, Alejandro and Jovita (Cruz) Garcia, siblings Pearl, Charles, Sister Antonia (Frances), Suzano (Mike), Lawrence, and Delphine Garcia.

Survived are her children, Elizabeth Ketterer (Mike), Elena Dearth (Alan), Mary Olesz (Brian), Bill Padilla, Alex Padilla, and Rose Hopman (Joe); grandchildren, Joseph Padilla, Davin, Peter, and Tim Dearth, Andrea and Bill Ketterer, and Micah Hopman. Remaining sibling is Sister Mary (Cruz) Garcia, SSF, of Milwaukee, WI, and sisters-in-law Tomasita (Longacre) Garcia of Albuquerque, NM and Beatrice (Padilla) Baer of Livermore, CA, and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family.

Luisa was a tenacious woman with a strong will and faith who raised six children on her own after her spouse passed away in 1964. She was blessed with a strong sense of intelligence, financial aptitude, and just plain common sense despite a low level of education. This helped her to overcome many obstacles including assisting her children in the achievement of college educations. She instilled many core values in her children for which they are very grateful.

Over her life, she was a migrant worker picking beets, maid, cook, and nanny, skilled as a tailor, seamstress, gardener; handywoman; businesswoman, good cook which helped her homemaking role.

She was an active lifelong member of Holy Family Catholic Church as a Daughter of Mary, member of parish council, made food and crafts for church bingos and bazaars, loved to count the offertory collection for approximately thirty years, ran the Pot of Gold booth several years at the annual church fiestas, and contributed to restore one of the stained glass windows in 2008.

She enjoyed walks and used the city bus to get around; read up on news and current affairs; planned family social events (like most of her children's weddings); rental property manager; learned and did upholstery refinishing; did many crafts, i.e. dolls, teddy bears, crocheted afghans, quilts with the local CSU Cooperative Extension Service. She loved to travel and completed multiple trips to Mexico, California and other states; church tours to Spain, Rome, Holy Land in her 80's; a last trip to Mexico in 2002, then Disneyland at age 88 and Hawaii at age 89. Her children and grandchildren were grateful to have shared many of those trips. She loved family gatherings and was particularly known for her homemade salsa.

Hers was a full and long life. Now she can stay sitting. She always said she would sit when she died.