Maria Elena Carrillo

Hello, welcome to the Celebration of Life for my mom, Maria Carrillo. I am her one and only child, Evangelina Banks and she was not just my mom, but she was my best friend.

Maria was born in Harlingen, Texas, in her home, on a ranch to her parents Abraham Ramirez Valenzuela and Maria Isabel Velasquez. Her parents came to this country through the bracero program and their employers brought them over permanently. One day, her father was driving the family to San Bernardino when their car broke down in Banning. This is where they stayed as their family grew.

Maria recalled going to school and being called “Mary”. Then her sisters started to call her “Mary”. Then, for a while, she did not know if her real name was. Was is Mary or was it Maria? Thinking back this made her laugh.

She remembered being very self-taught by second grade. She was raised to be self-reliant and that education was important. Her parents did not want her to be a farm worker. Maria graduated from Banning high school where she was a member of the ASB Student Association, President of the Mexican American Youth Organization, Mexican American Scholarship Association, part of the softball team, the Public Library Reading and Book Club, Youth Faith Activities of Christian Churches, High School Volunteer Work Club, Spanish Club, Junior Achievement and Academic Honor Society. Her best friend was Gayle Woodrift. Maria used to sing in choir and went on to college and earned her degree.

One her favorite things to do outside of school was dancing. Thinking back with a smile she recalled moments dancing with Michael Montez, Danny Salazar, and Robert Reynolds. She also recalled having a fight with her sister Susan. Where Susan ran through the door, closed it, and my mom punched her fist through the glass window on the door trying to get to her sister. It is a funny memory thinking back.

Some of her interesting memories were going on Easter egg hunts in the desert with cactus instead of grass. Also, having Easter egg hunts in Idyllwild instead of the normal parks or the back yards.

One of her happiest memories is her dad driving all the kids to Baja Mexico, to get oysters and clams. The trip took the whole day, there were a lot of kids, but a memory that made her happy.

One of her most cherished memories is going to buy their first Halloween costumes with their dad. They did not have a lot of money, so when they had the opportunity to get costumes it was a big deal. She also mentioned they were not allowed to have pets because they were expensive. However, she and her siblings would be assigned a tree that they were responsible for taking care of.

After her father passed away, the family moved to San Bernardino, California. There she met Marcelino Carrillo. They meet through mutual friends. She said she knew they would be married; and they were. Their first apartment was on Harrington. She would help her own family, but she also opened her heart and home to Marcelino’s family. She would cook, clean, do laundry, and try to teach them English free of charge. If there was not enough food, she would not eat to give her plate to someone else. This was a special season of her life.

When her life started a new season, she became a teacher’s aide at Riley Elementary School in San Bernardino, California. There she would tutor Vietnamese children how to read and speak English, she created the Baile Floklorico program, assisted with the football program, and created the cheer program. She was loved and adored by many with her commitment and dedication to the children and the children loved her. She was also adored by many teachers and parents.

Either in the late 70’s or early 80’s, she recalls allowing her younger brother Checo, to have a “small”, party at her home in San Bernardino. Turns out, this “small” party, had so many cars, they blocked of the streets, the amount of people, overflowed out of the half-acre property from the back yard into the streets, and was broken up by the helicopter with police. This is the one-time Maria remembered being in real trouble with her mom. But it is a memory that most of her siblings will remember and share.

She started a lifelong career in Mortgage Banking. Some of the companies she worked for include: Shearson Leman, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and went on to First American Title.

She loved working at First American Title. She held various titles, supervised various departments, managed many projects and activities at First American. She woke up every morning eager and happy to go to work. She developed great working and personal relationships with many there. She developed lifelong friendships with people she loved and cared for. Some were like family, some became family, and through her love, she was loved her in return.

Recently, I asked her what one of her favorite songs were. She thought back, and said, “it is a song by 3 dog night”. She was not able to recall the name of the song, but advised to contact her brother, Robert, mention the “beach party” and he would know. I followed her instructions, and sure enough he knew exactly what she was referring to and without hesitation said the song is ‘1 is the loneliest number’.

She liked many genres of music and various artist including: Marachi music, Chenti, oldies like The Temptations and Smoke Robinson and the Miracles, Christian Music, and you can even catch Depeshe Mode playing in her truck every now and then. She loved the John Hughes movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, she enjoyed watching the Halllmark channel, all things Chicago, like Chicago, PD, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Blue Bloods, and NCIS (but she only like the episodes with Denozo and Ziva). She also liked the work of Kevin Costner and Pierce Brosnan.

She loved to read her Bible. She had several; one at home, at work, and in her car. She encouraged her family to read to Bible and how important it is to read. She was an active member of Calvary Church Corona. She would help with donations for the orphanage in Mexico. She would volunteer with programs such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Habitat for Humanity, Home for our troops, and Operation Second Chance. She would help collect donations for Circle Hope Family Sheler, and she would cook dinners for her local fire departments. She would also carry brown bags in her truck filled with granola bars, water, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, ect to give to the homeless on the street when she would pass by.

Maria really enjoyed spending time with her good close friends, Mark Jones, Evangelina Carrillo-Menchaca, Hermila Menchaca, Bonnie Rentz. She has special relationships with each of them and cherished the friendships they shared.

Maria had a daughter she loved, two grand-daughters she moved the world for, two great grandsons that were the sparkle in her eyes and the joy in her hear, and having a son-on-law and grandson-in-law were added bonuses.

Maria was a wonderful daughter, compassionate sister, loving mother, endearing, kind, protective, and an extraordinary grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She was a saving grace. She was her daughter’s best friend. She changed the lives of many people for the better and is deeply loved and cherished for this.

Mom, Maria, you were a blessing in our lives, loved more than words I have for, and you will be greatly missed. I would like to close with a Poem titled ‘He only takes the best’ written by and author who is unknown:

GOD SAW THAT YOU WERE GETTING TIRED AND A CURE WAS NOT TO BE

SO HE PUT HIS ARMS AROUD YOU AND WHISPERED, “COME WITH ME”

WITH TEARUL EYES WE WATCHED YOU SUFFER AND FADE AWAY

ALTHOUGH WE LOVED YOU DEARLY, WE COULD NOT MAKE YOU STAY

A GOLDEN HEART STOPPED BEATING, HARD WORKING HANDS TO REST

GOD BROKE OUR HEARTS TO PROVE TO US HE ONLY TAKES THE BEST

Maria is survived by her daughter Evangelina Banks (Cornelius "Neil" Banks) of Menifee, California; her brother Jesse Valenzuela of Banning, California, her sister Susan Casillas (Dino Casillas) of Fernadina Beach, Florida, her sister Miroslaba "Bea" "Samantha" Valenzuela of Crescent City, California, her sister Frances Valenzuela-Dudas (Danny Dudas) of Downey, California, her sister Jeanie Valenzuela-Wallis of Riverside, California, her brother Robert Valenzuela (Linda Valenzuela) of Plumas Lake, California and her brother Esequiel "Checo" Valenzuela (Lorna "Lori" Valenzuela) of Banning, California; her granddaughter Sabrina Chavez-Faye (Mikey Faye), her granddaughter Sianna Salazar, her great grandson Ayres Lopez and her great grandson Leo Dean Faye "Dino".

A memorial service for Maria will be held Monday, April 17, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Calvary Chapel Corona, 130 West Chase Drive, Corona, CA 92882.