Maria Avila Obituary

Avila, Maria Teresa Alvarado 90, of St. Petersburg's Beach FL, died Sunday February 1, 2004 at about 12:30 p.m. at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg's Beach, Fl. She was born in El Paso, TX on January 7, 1914. Her parents were Maria Prieto and Mercedes Alvarado Bernal of Mexico. Her mother, Maria Prieto, died when Teresa was about 4 years old. She was taken care of by her various Paternal Aunts "Panchita" Frances Alvarado Fernandez, Jovita Alvarado Fernandez, and Ciria Alvarado Sorini. Teresa moved from El Paso, TX to Chicago where her dad, Mercedes, traveled North while working with the New York Central Railroad in 1930. During the Depression, she sold homemade ice cream, sweet potatoes, and paper shopping bags with handles on Maxwell Street. She also worked at the Nabisco Cookie Factory located on Polk Street. She helped her sister-in-law Luisa Parocua Avila Martinez run Bob's Grocery Store located near Taylor in the Old Italian neighborhood. She met Frank Mosqueda Parocua Avila in El Paso, TX and married him in 1936 in Chicago, and divorced him. Teresa and Frank had four children, one daughter and three sons. When her ex-husband, Frank Mosqueda Parocua Avila, remarried, she gained three step-sons whom she cared for in her own home at one time. Teresa served as a Precinct Captain for the 5th Precinct of the 46th Ward when she and her family lived in the Wrigley section of Lakeview in Chicago. In addition, she worked in the "Old" (before redistricting) 1st Ward for about ten years and also in the 22nd Ward in Chicago. She knew every single person in her precincts by name. They also lived at 1142 S. Ashland. She acted as a "Social Worker" when she helped many people to obtain various social services that were much needed. Her four children particularly her son Frank Avila "Walked the Precincts" with her to get out the votes. After all those years of getting the votes out for everybody else, Teresa Alvarado Avila was extremely excited when her eldest son, Frank Avila, was elected and installed to be Commissioner of the Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in Fall, 2002. She worked for many years and retired as an employee for the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. Because she was bi-lingual, she often translated Spanish and English for judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers, and other people in the courts and offices. After her retirement from the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, she moved from Chicago, Illinois to St. Petersburg's Beach, FL in 1975 to enjoy the warm, sunny weather. Her son, Frank Avila, took her on an odyssey to El Paso, TX a few years ago to reunite Teresa with her many Alvarado cousins. She always owned dogs including "King", a big, active Boxer whose ashes will be buried with her, and a smaller more manageable dog "Chewie". She had a hearty, deep laugh that nobody will ever forget, and she laughed often. You could hear her laughing across the room. She valued education, sent her four children to Immanuel Lutheran School and Church, and she encouraged all of her children to attend college even though she only had an elementary school education herself. Teresa helped raise two of her grandsons, Antonio Merced Pabon de Avila and Rick Higgins Avila. Even though Teresa stood only about 4 feet 10 inches in physical height, she stood 10 feet tall in an indomitable spirit. She had limitless energy that allowed her to be physically active and mentally alert until the day she died. She was a very loving and devoted Single-Parent. She was also a very loving and devoted Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. Survivors include: sister, Lala Carvajal, Chicago; one daughter, Mary Theresa Avila Pabon, St. Petersburg's, FL; three sons, Commissioner of Water Reclamation Frank (Sherry) Avila, Chicago, Richard Avila, St. Petersburg's Beach, FL and Daniel Avila, Chicago; three step-sons, Russell Metzger (Liane) Avila, Orland Park, IL, Richard Frank Metzger Avila (Diane Allard), Las Vegas, NV; and Robert Metzger Avila (Darlene Meinke), Waukegan, IL.; eight grandchildren, Anthony Pabon, Marathon, FL, Rich Higgins Avila serving in the Marines in Iraq, Frank B. Avila serving in the U.S. Army Reserves, Chicago, Quinn Avila, Chicago, Audrey Avila, Chicago, Dan Avila, St. Petersburg, FL, Brandi Avila Valdez, Virginia, Robert Avila, serving in the Navy in Korea. She has eight step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; three step-great grandchildren. Numerous nieces and nephews. Donations may be made to Friends of Strays. Beach Memorial Chapel, 301 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach, FL, 33706 Phone: 727-360-5577.