Alvina M. Castro

Our mother started working at the age of 15 and worked many years at Parmalee Plastics until her retirement. She went on to work as a foster grandparent at Cradle and Crayons until it closed. She continued her service at Children’s Mercy Hospital where she visited the children to read and play with them, at times visiting 22 rooms a day. What she loved the most was being able to rock the little babies. It was a job that gave her purpose and made her feel wanted. She did this for 5 years and she was honored with the Esther Award for her outstanding service to the foster grandparents program. She spent the rest of her life doing what she loved to do. Some of her hobbies included going to the library every Friday and off on the bus shopping to every mall the bus would take her to. Unfortunately, she started to show signs of dementia and it was devastating to see her lose parts of her independence little bits at a time. She was always a strong independent woman who asked nothing of no one and wouldn't accept help from anyone. I would like to thank my partner in life, Mark Joseph, for without you I could not have done a lot of things for her. You were her confidant. She told you things that even I never knew. You were her coffee buddy, her coffee maker, you could make her laugh even on her worst day. She trusted you totally and she didn’t trust anyone. You gave her comfort when she was afraid.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Manuel D.Zuniga and Gloria R. Zuniga; her beloved grandmother, Victoria B.Reyes; her husband, Antonio L. Castro; sister, Nellie V Fernandez; and her beloved son, Paul Castro. She leaves behind 5 children, Gloria M. Castro Leddick (Greg) , Virginia Castro Pierce (David), Jesse T. Castro, Michael A. Castro (Dolores), Victoria A. Castro Villanueva (Mark); her sisters, Linda M. Coons, Rose Mary Gill (Edward); and brother, Paul Zuniga (Linda). She also leaves behind 14 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

A Wake will take place on Thursday, October 17th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Rd. Kansas City, MO 64154. Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 18th at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Church, 416 W. 12th St. Kansas City, MO 64105, with prelude beginning at 9:45 a.m. Burial to follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, 7601 Blue Ridge Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64138.