Luis Ayala

Luis is survived by his wife, Gladys Ayala; his children and their spouses, David and Tabitha Castillo, and Benjamin and Yesenia Ayala; his grandchildren, Zenia, David, and Jordan Castillo, and Leah, Benjamin, and Liam Ayala; as well as his siblings, Betty Wiley, Victoria Lopez, Nicholas Ayala, Minerva Jimenez, Genevieve Torres, and Kevin Ayala.

Luis was born on July 11, 1952 in Queens, NY to Cresencio and Judith Ayala. He married Gladys Rosario, his high school sweetheart, in 1972. Over the course of the first three years of marriage, the couple welcomed their two children. He got his GED after they were married, and not long afterwards went to trade school to learn architectural drafting. After about fourteen years of drafting, Luis went back to trade school and learned computer programming. He enjoyed computer programming very much, and God granted him favor with his various employers, as he slowly worked his way up to higher-paying positions. IBM was his last place of employment before he was forced to go on long-term disability, in 2005, due to his increasing health difficulties with diabetes, heart surgeries, kidney failure, kidney transplant (kidney donated by his sister, Victoria), foot neuropathy, dialysis, etc. On June 5, 2022 he was taken to the ER, and it was determined that he had a blood infection due to an infected catheter. The catheter was removed, but the infection had already spread to his pacemaker. While at the hospital, complications also developed that impeded his ability to eat, which in turn weakened him further, eliminating the possibility of undergoing surgery for a pacemaker replacement. On June 21st, Luis went into home hospice care and two days later departed to his eternal home in glory with his wife, children, and a grandchild by his side.

Luis loved to sing, and taught himself how to play the bass, and some piano, at an early age. He was the bassist in a family band, Maranatha, that played together for seventeen years, which consisted of his wife, two sisters, their spouses, and years later, the couples’ children. It was a joy for him to serve in several ministries in the various churches he attended over his lifetime – as a Royal Rangers Commander, on the Audio/Visual team, as a musician on the worship team, as a treasurer. He also helped one of his churches start a food bank. He delighted in being around his family (especially his grandbabies), extended family, and church family.

Luis understood he was a sinner in need of a Savior from God’s just wrath. His hope was not in anything in himself or his deeds, but solely in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Luis believed that God sent His own son to pay the debt that no one could pay, to reconcile sinners to Himself. All who trust in His redemptive work will be saved.

A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for July 2, 2022 at San Tan Bible Church in Gilbert, AZ, with a reception. The service will be live-streamed at 10:30am, AZ time at https://www.santanbible.org/events/event/2051/ccb/2022-007-02 . The family would like to thank the caregivers at Mercy Gilbert Hospital, as well as the Aegis hospice staff, family, and friends for their care, prayers, and support.