A Family Funeral Home
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Maria Villalpando

December 9, 1928 - November 6, 2020
Sturtevant, WI

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Visitation

Friday, November 13, 2020
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST
St. Patrick Catholic Church
1100 Erie Street
Racine, WI

Service

Friday, November 13, 2020
12:00 PM CST
Live Stream
St. Patrick Catholic Church
1100 Erie Street
Racine, WI 53402

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

the family

Life Story / Obituary


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Maria Villalpando, age 91, was called home to the Lord on Friday, November 6, 2020. Maria was born in Florence, KS on December 9, 1928, daughter of the late Anastacio and Catalina (nee: Villalobos) Villalpando.

Maria had a great affinity and love for pets and animals. She was the proud owner of Aqualand Pet Center and Magic Touch grooming salon for more than 55 years but started working for the original owners of the Pet Service Center at the age of 16. It gave her great pride to be the first certified dog groomer in the Raine area. Well known for her creative eye and special scissor skills, Maria participated in many trade shows and was a national award winner in various dog grooming categories. It gave her great excitement to travel with standard poodles, cocker spaniels and many others and bring them home ribbon winners. She groomed her last dog, Oreo, just a week ago on October 27.

Maria had a number of pets over the years: dogs and cats of many breeds, birds including parrots and macaws, and even chickens! She loved all animals. Her love of animals was only superseded by the love for her family. She will be best remembered for her great love and devotion to them. She was the proud mother of Gil, Guillermina, Rita and Gary. She was a devoted grandmother to her grandchildren: Ana Marie, Liz, Kristy, Jorge, Junior, Leticia, Adelyn, Cynthia, Alonzo and Vincent. All 10 of them spending many of their school age days and afterschool afternoons with her over the years. She helped with homework and loved to cook for them. Nothing was better than Grandma’s puyayas and homemade barbeque sauce.

She felt blessed to be able to meet her 19 great grandchildren: Jason, Mariah, Jeremy, Jalen, DJ, Maleah, Isaiah, Alexandria, Julie, Samiyah, Annabelle, Vanessa, Avelina, Ava, Adolfo III, Taliah, Kierah, Janilah and Aylin. You’d often find Maria making various crafts such as reindeer candy canes or decorated Easter eggs so they could share at school or with friends. She loved to share in their accomplishments. If she wasn’t doing something for her family, you’d find her diving into a good book.

Maria was always finding ways to help her community. She was very passionate about raising funds to support the K9 police dogs of the City of Racine, Racine County and others. In her younger days she dabbled in politics running for Alderperson in Racine and was an activist working hard for the Latino community as well. Doña Maria was known for assisting as an interpreter and document preparer and fighting for immigrant rights.

Maria was a devout woman of faith. She grew up a member of St. Sebastian Church and later became a very active member of the former Cristo Rey Catholic Church. She loved to decorate the alter for various feast days and for many years, ran the game booth at the annual church festival. You’d often find her praying the rosary, reading prayer cards and praying to her beloved saints.

Left to cherish her memory and continue Maria’s legacy are her children, Gil Melendez III, Guillermina (Adolfo) Diaz, Rita (Agustin) Flores, Gerardo “Gary” Melendez; grandchildren, Ana Marie Diaz, Elisabeth Diaz, Kristine (Donte) Cosey, Jorge Diaz, Adolfo Diaz Jr., Leticia (Brennan) Collier, Adelyn (Jesus) Rodriguez, Cynthia Flores-Hernandez, Alonzo (Kelsey) Flores and Vincent Melendez; 19 great grandchildren; siblings, Florentina (Dan) Sanders, Virginia Villalpando, Jose Villalpando, Reyna (Tim) Taggart; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and many customers.

In addition to her parents, Maria was also preceded in death by her siblings, Anita Villalpando, Santa Trinidad Suarez, Victoria Garza, Benjamin Villalpando, Peter Villalpando and Benita Olvera.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1100 Erie St, on Friday, November 13, 2020 12:00 p.m., with Rev. Antony Thomas officiating. Interment will follow at West Lawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until time of Mass at 12:00 p.m.

Memorials to the family have been suggested.

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