Maria Juana Torres

Our beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with Alzheimer’s. She departed her loving family on April 6, 2024.

Juana was a loving mother to Melissa (James) Chandler, Rosio (Fred) Greenwood, and Braulio (Cristina) Sotelo. She also loved being a grandmother to her seven grandchildren: Elijah Cannon, Mireya Sotelo, Samuel Chandler, Araceli Chandler, Vanessa Silva, Gabriela Sotelo, and Allison Sotelo. She raised her children with such devotion with her husband Espiridion Sotelo.

Juana was a very strong woman who was nice if she liked you but mean to you if she did not. She showed her love for everyone through her cooking, which she loved to do until her battle with Alzheimer’s began.

Aside from the children and grandchildren she doted on, Juana is also survived by her siblings Rafael Torres, Blanca Chavez, and Salomon Torres and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Juana was predeceased by her parents, Magdaleno and Maria De Jesus Torres, her sister Maria Marroquin, and her brothers Gregorio Torres, Jose Abel Torres, and Magdaleno Torres Jr.

She was also a strong woman of faith. She played the role of two parents and did it in a way that never let on how many sacrifices she had to make. For these sacrifices, we are the people we are today.

A huge heartfelt thank you to Kristina Martinez, Sascha Sullivan, Angie Garcia, and Westover Hills Hospice for taking care of our mother like their own mother for the past 10 months.

“God Saw You”

God saw you were getting tired,

And a cure was not to be,

So he put his arms around you,

And whispered, “Come to Me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you,

And saw you pass away.

Although we loved you dearly,

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best.