Beloved Matriarch and Community Pillar Passes Away at 74
In Loving Memory of Maria Avina (1950 – 2025)
It is with heavy hearts and profound sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of Maria Avina on April 18, 2025, at the age of 74. She passed peacefully, surrounded by her loving children and grandchildren in Lake Elsinore, California.
Maria was more than a mother and grandmother—she was the heart of her family and a beloved figure in her community. Her kindness, strength, and unwavering compassion made her a cornerstone of comfort and support for all who knew her.
A Life Rooted in Love and Faith
Born in 1950 in Michoacán, Mexico, Maria was the eldest of seven siblings. After losing her mother at the age of 15, she stepped into the role of caregiver—a position she filled with grace, love, and quiet strength for the rest of her life.
In the early 1970s, she immigrated to the United States in search of a brighter future for her family. Settling in Southern California, Maria worked tirelessly, often balancing multiple jobs to provide for her loved ones. Her work ethic was only matched by her generosity of spirit.
She married Jorge Avina in 1974, and together they built a loving home filled with laughter, tradition, and unshakable faith. Though Jorge passed in 2008, Maria often said their love endured in every part of her daily life.
A Devoted Mother and Cherished Abuela
Maria raised four children who continue to embody her core values—kindness, humility, resilience, and deep compassion. She also delighted in her role as “Abuela” to eight grandchildren, each of whom she nurtured with homemade treats, life lessons, and an endless supply of affection.
Her kitchen was always warm, her door always open, and her table a place of stories and wisdom. She taught her family by example, never with harsh words but with a steady hand and a generous heart.
“Do good, even when no one is watching,” she would say. “That is where your soul shows.”
A Beacon in Her Community
To her neighbors and friends in Lake Elsinore, Maria was more than a familiar face—she was a source of comfort, guidance, and unwavering generosity. She was a devoted parishioner at St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church, where she volunteered regularly at the food pantry and donation drives.
Maria was known for her homemade tamales at block parties, her caring check-ins with the sick and elderly, and her natural way of making everyone feel seen and valued. Her acts of kindness were never for show—they were a reflection of who she was.
“Abuela used to say that being kind is the bravest thing we can do,” shared her grandson Leo. “She didn’t just say it—she lived it.”
Honoring Her Legacy
Maria’s legacy is not one of material wealth, but of profound human richness—of lives touched, burdens lightened, and hearts lifted. Her laughter, her hugs, her stories, and her quiet strength remain etched in the memories of all who knew her.
Her final days were spent offering words of love and wisdom to her children and grandchildren. She left this world the way she lived in it: with dignity, grace, and surrounded by love.
Services and Memorial Details
- Rosary & Viewing: Friday, April 26, at Miller-Jones Mortuary, Lake Elsinore
- Funeral Mass: Saturday, April 27, at 10 a.m. at St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church
- Burial: Following the Mass at Lake Elsinore Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Jorge
- Celebration of Life Luncheon: Hosted by the Avina family at Elks Lodge, Lake Elsinore
To assist with funeral expenses and honor Maria’s memory, a GoFundMe campaign has been established. Donations in her name to charities serving the elderly, single mothers, and immigrant families are also welcomed—causes close to her heart.
A Final Word
Maria Avina was not just a good person—she was goodness itself. Her light touched so many lives, and though her absence leaves an ache in our hearts, her spirit lives on through every act of kindness we carry forward in her name.
Let us remember her not only in grief, but in gratitude—for her life, her love, and the legacy she leaves behind.
May we all strive to be a little more like Maria—gentle, generous, resilient, and full of love.
