Maria

Suniga

We are gathered here today to say "Hasta luego" to a legend we hold dear to our hearts: a devoted mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend—someone who built a name worth carrying with pride and dignity. She took care of us until she could no longer, and in turn, we cared for her until she passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by loved ones, on October 23, 2026. 

Her name is Maria Suniga. She is the foundation of who we are today, having taught us how to be resilient, compassionate, and loving. She often shared stories from her youth growing up in Irapuato, Guanajuato, in rural Mexico—from enjoying delicious wild fruits like dragon fruit and prickly pear to experiencing the vibrant local nightlife, as well as overcoming the hardship of her father leaving at a young age. Although she never attended a formal school a single day in her life, she never needed to. She learned everything essential through life experience, working hard from a young age to provide for her family, often only accepting food instead of payment. 

Throughout it all, enduring prejudice and hardships one can expect in a classist society. In search of new opportunities, Maria eventually moved to the United States after her mother made arrangements with family living there. It was here, in the land of the American dream, that she met our grandfather. She began caring for him as he was paralyzed from the waist down, preparing his favorite meals, taking him outside, and treating him like a regular person . They fell deeply in love, and on the cold night of December 16, 1981, she gave birth to her son, John. She showed him the boundless love that she had once wished for herself and taught him how to pass that love forward. Maria taught all of us how to treat one another. She showed us how to maintain dignity in an undignified world, how to love those who struggle to love themselves, and how to be as strong as the wind that carves the mountains and the torrents of water that shape the rivers.

"La Vida Te Da Sorpresas, Sorpresas Te Da La Vida"