Maria de la Luz Ayala, age 96, of Berwyn, IL. Beloved wife of the late Severiano Ayala t. Loving mother of
Jorge (Irma), Carlos (Lourdes), Maria de la Luz (Raul) Campos, Ricardo Severiano t (Blanca), Alberto
(Carmen), Dora Maria (Arsenio t) Escobedo, Elena (Laurence) McCarthy, Leticia (Juan Carlos) Carrera,
Velia, Raquel (Rony) Martinez and Arturo (Sue). Cherished grandmother of Arlette, Michelle, Lucy t,
Miriam, Nora, Carla, Jenny, Raul, Patricia, Diana, Andrea, Alberto, Carol, John, Carlitos, Ricky, Tony and
Danny. Maria was born Maria de la Luz Ortega Nunez on September 21, 1926 in Yurecuaro, Mich, Mexico to
Romualdo Ortega Gascon and Elena Nunez Arellano. She was the youngest of 16 children. Her family
later moved to Cueramaro, Gto, where she married Severiano Ayala on November 28, 1945. They were
married for 37 years until his passing on November 16, 1982. Maria moved to Chicago in 1965 and lived
in the Little Village neighborhood for many years. In 2018 she retired to the quiet life in Berwyn, IL. She
was proud of the fact that she prepared for and passed the US citizenship test when she was nearly 70
years old. Her happiest moments were when her children and grandchildren visited, sitting at the
kitchen table, enjoying delicious food, lively conversation, and happy memories. She will be
remembered for her wonderful cooking, especially her mole Poblano, her keen sight and hearing, her
quick wit, and the ease with which she could tell a joke or a funny story. Her generosity, deep faith, her love of family and zest for life will be missed by all who loved her.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Maria Ayala, please visit our floral store.