Maria "Tere" Santa

Maria “Tere” Santa passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. Tere was born on October 3, 1962 in San Juan, PR, the proud daughter of Juan and the late Maria Isabel Ayala. Tere pursued education her whole life. First, she graduated from the US Army’s Combat Medic Course. Later on, she completed the Licensed Practical Nurse Course. She worked as a dermatology nurse while completing her Associate Degree in Nursing. She moved to Virginia and worked in the surgical floor of a major hospital, while at the same time pursuing her BSN degree from the University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus. Upon graduation, she followed her husband to Jacksonville, FL and began work as an oncology nurse. More recently she completed her Master degree from Jacksonville University and worked as the Director of Application Services and Optimization for a tech company in New York.

Tere loved the beach. She loved dancing and travel. She traveled constantly for work but also for pleasure. She traveled all over the United States, throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. She wanted to go to Africa next.

She was predeceased by her mother Maria Isabel Ayala. Survivors include her father Juan Santa, her husband Alex Reyes, her children Karen Lewis and Jose Reyes, her sister in law Mariela Reyes and her niece Keyla Montes.