HER LIFE AND LEGACY LIVES ON

I want to thank you for taking time from your life to hear a part of my story and the mission I have begun in honor of my mother Andrea who passed away from the brain disease Lewy Body Dementia in February of 2020. 

Losing my mother on this earth has changed my life forever. Like most of you out there, I have many cherished memories of my mother. What I loved —and miss most—about my mother Andrea was her laugh and the vibrant smile that lit up her face every time I’d walk into a room. She was a mother in every sense that she could be. Beautiful, strong, persistent, and with a faith that could move the mountains. She was my protector, my teacher, my friend, my biggest cheerleader, and the light of our family. I’d love to tell you a little bit more about my mother and her life and why I’ve begun this mission.

My mom really lived an incredible life. She grew up a poor Mexican American in a small Texas town called Falfurrias in the 1950’s. At a very early age, her father left her and her 3 siblings, leaving them to be raised by a single mother and her two aunts. For those of you out there, you can only imagine what that experience might have been like for her, and the effects it had on her growing up, all the way through adulthood. If that wasn’t hard enough, being an Mexican American during that time was no easy feat and my mother had big dreams to go out and see this world, despite the opposition.

But by God’s grace, they all prevailed and by the age of 21 years old, my mother became a first generation college graduate and acquired a teaching degree from Texas A&M University. But in the end, my mom, being the woman she was, stayed true to her dreams. Instead of taking her place in a classroom, she auditioned to become a flight attendant for the prestigious Pan American World Airways and was accepted. It was a great honor during that time. They have even made television shows in recent years about the glorious Pan Am days and the beautiful women who chartered those flights in its time. I am honored to say that my mother was one of them. My mother spent 13 years with the airline traveling the world and touched down in almost every country, creating countless memories she would long cherish. 

After she retired from Pan Am, she pursued another cherished dream of starting a family. She married the love of her life, Mark, my father, had two children, my sister Lauren and me and we’re happily together for 40 years until the day she passed away. 

For most of her life, my mother was athletic, energetic, positive and kind. Every day of her life, my mother showed my sister and I by example who we wanted to be in the world and to follow our God given hearts. I can really go on and on about her life, with countless amazing stories and experiences she and we all had together. To say I had an amazing loving mother would not be enough but for those of you out there who have had a similar upbringing, can relate to this truly.