Maria Belle Higgins

With family and friends by her side, Maria Higgins passed away peacefully at home on March 19, 2021. She had an amazing 101 years of life filled with achievements including surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor where she and her four young children evacuated from Honolulu when they were stationed there as a military family with her first husband, Joseph T. Tracy.

Later in life, with her second husband Patrick “Pat” Higgins, she owned and managed five restaurants in downtown San Diego. When Maria and Pat retired from the restaurant business in 1975, they served as Christian missionaries and shared their faith with international communities in Haiti and Mexico while also attending to the religious needs of male and female prisoners at the San Diego Metropolitan Correction Center. After Pat’s passing, Maria continued to serve God as a religious educator and focused on the needs of her local church community.

Maria was a very proud mother to her daughters Peggy and Catherine “Susie” and her sons, Charles “Buddy” and Joseph “Joe”. Maria is survived by her daughter Susie Seyde, her son Joe Tracy and her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren who lovingly referred to her as “Nana”.

Maria was a great friend and made everyone feel welcomed at her home. Anytime you telephoned Maria her greeting would be “Jesus Loves You”. We will miss our Nana and our memories and lessons from her regarding love of God, family and community will always be a source of comfort.