Midvale -- Maria Antonieta Velasquez, 78, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away January 15, 2018.
Born April 27, 1939, in Lima, Peru, to Vicente Ferrer Azabache and Martha De La Natividad Gordillo. Married Felipe Velasquez in Lima, Peru, on January 8, 1960. Their marriage was solemnized in the Lima Peru LDS Temple April 9, 1986. Maria was an active and faithful member of the LDS Church, served as the First Counselor in the Relief Society of her ward in Peru, and devoted her life to her family. In 1988, she moved with her family from Peru to the United States, where she became a U.S. Citizen in 1998.
Her strong faith in God and the Savior Jesus Christ has sustained her all throughout her life. She leaves a great legacy of love, charity, and service to others. Whenever the family would gather together, she would prepare a delicious meal for everyone. She enjoyed making sure that everyone ate and was happy. She embraced everyone who came into her home and loved them. Her next passion, after her family and cooking, was her knitting. She enjoyed making scarves, sweaters, and hats out of fine wools, including baby alpaca, and then gifting them to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In Peru she ran a small home business and using an electric knitting machine she created and then sold her art. She also enjoyed serving others. In Peru she would carry clothes to less fortunate families in need. And if someone was hungry she would share what she had with them.
Maria is survived by her children, Susana Manwill (Brent), Sandy; Marina Hart (Chris), Sandy; Enrique (Daniela), Katy, Texas; Martha Greenwood, West Valley City; Janett Price (Mark), Sandy; Elizabeth V. Flores (Humberto), Midvale; 19 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren with 1 on the way; one sister and two brothers living in Peru. She is preceded in death by husband Felipe S. Velasquez and son Pedro.
Please join us in honoring Maria's life at funeral services Friday, January 19, 2018 at 11 a.m. in the Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary Chapel, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy, UT, with viewings held Thursday 6-8 p.m. and Friday one hour prior to the service at the mortuary. Interment services will be held at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery.
