Maria del Rosario Blalock

Born in Las Minas, Herrerra, Republic of Panama on October 7, 1951, she left home at a very early age to fend for herself in that third world Latin American country. In 1970, she met her future husband, Henry David Blalock III, while working as a housekeeper in the Panama Canal Zone.

In 1973, she married and by 1976 had borne two daughters, Herika Renee and Doris Celina, before coming to the US with her family in 1977.

Over the next decades, besides being a full-time mother, Maria served as a cafeteria worker, a sushi chef, and was one of the first licensed massage therapists in Tennessee. She exemplified Christian values through her love and support of family and friends.

Maria attended Collierville Bible Church, where she delighted in handling the nursery. She loved small children and babies. She was also known for her honesty and straight talk, never being afraid to speak her mind.

Maria is predeceased by her parents and brother Ricardo Aparicio. She is survived by two brothers and one sister, her husband and daughters, four grandchildren, and dozens of nephews and nieces in the US and Panama.