Maria Alicia Cortez's Obituary
Maria Alicia Cortez (Castrejon), 64, of Lemon Grove, CA was called home by the Lord on Friday, September 15, 2023, surrounded by her family, more than two years after she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Born in Acuitzio Mexico on June 22, 1959, Alicia moved to Lemon Grove with her family as a young girl and spent her childhood and adolescence there with her siblings. She is survived by her four brothers Jorge, Joe, Gustavo and Albert and her five sisters Delia, Fabiola, Ivonne, Nancy and Eva. Alicia is predeceased by her mother, Eva (Javier) and her father, Jose Castrejon.
In her 20s, Alicia married and moved with her former husband, Lorenzo Cortez, to the Fresno area where they started their family and lived for about 12 years. Alicia loved being a mother and was the most devoted and loving mom to her sons, Adriel Cortez and Juan Cortez and her daughter, Ana Cortez.
While her children were young, Alicia stayed home with them, and as they grew older, she worked for years at Century 21 in real estate and later worked as a caregiver, where her kindness and compassion allowed her to make a lasting impact on the lives of others. Throughout her life, Alicia’s faith in God was immense and it was important to her to share God’s love with others, whether it be through gifting people she met with her handmade rosaries or teaching catechism classes at her church.
Alicia’s smile, her incredible culinary skills, her sense of humor and her warmth and affection will be sorely missed by many, especially by her granddaughters, Jacqueline Cortez and Keira Cortez, who she adored, and who cherished every moment they got to spend with their Nana Licha.
Memorial services will be held at Greenwood Memorial Park and Holy Cross Cemetery in San Diego. There will be a visitation held at Greenwood Memorial Tuesday, October 3 from 4:00 - 8:00pm. The funeral will be Wednesday, October 4 in the chapel at Holy Cross followed by burial. Family and friends are welcome to a gathering at Greenwood following the service where food will be served and stories will be shared.
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