Marie Teresa Cota

Many things can be said about Marie Teresa Cota. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. Marie was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around her. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

Marie was born on January 16, 1935 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Frank and Lucy Hurtado. Marie was raised in Los Angeles, California. When she was young, Marie's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Marie demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her.

Marie grew up with six siblings. She had Robert, Jimmy, Carlos, Tudy, Jennie and Susan. Marie was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. She was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served her well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Marie carried these traits into her adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found her pleasurable and delightful to be around. Marie was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew.

As a young girl, Marie was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether her peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Marie could easily relate to other kids. She was an active child who took part in exercise. However, to Marie, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

Always considered a “good” friend, Marie sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Marie always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Marie’s friends found her easy to know and get along with because of her talent for being socially at ease, adept at conversation, and always amiable in her dealings with others. Marie would always seek to learn what her friends enjoyed, and she would go out of her way to make sure that their needs were met. Marie was always seen as the type of person who was the more gracious giver. In fact, she sometimes felt ill at ease when she was the one on the receiving end. Throughout her life she had many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Rose Gomez. Later in life, she became friends with Rose Gomez.

On September 4, 1991 Marie married Louis Cota at the Pico Rivera American Legion Hall of Pico Rivera, California. Compassionate and devoted, Marie worked hard to make her new family happy. She was always generous with her time and this meant that Louis came first in Marie’s book. She was always caring and made certain that she considered Louis’s feelings. By trusting her emotions, Marie did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Marie was truly a person of empathy.

Marie’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Marie shared these values with her four children, Richard, Lorraine, Tomas, Steven. Marie related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them.

Marie experienced success in her work life over and over again. Her primary occupation was color coordinator - ceramic tile. She was employed for 10 years. Marie always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by her colleagues as a team player. Marie took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Marie was one to take the initiative and her skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Marie continually sought to learn what her co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled her to help them develop their own potential.

Because she was organized and methodical, Marie took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading the bible. Marie enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

Marie derived much satisfaction from sports. Because she was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Marie delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. Marie was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams' events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were basketball (Lakers).

Marie enjoyed traveling, and because she was so well organized, she would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Marie were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included long trips - Las Vegas.

Marie was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Marie's favorite was Jack. They were best friends for 10 years.

When Marie’s retirement finally came in 2000, she was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that she was, Marie had taken care to plan for this part of her life. When that time eventually arrived, Marie knew exactly what she wanted to do. Even in retirement, Marie continued to stay in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Marie passed away on October 8, 2010 at home. She is survived by her husband, Louis, her children, Richard, Lorraine, Tomas and Steven. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel in Covina, California.

Throughout her life, Marie was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. She would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. She was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Marie leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Marie Teresa Cota.