Adriana Sánchez Obituary, Death – Adriana Valadez Espinosa Sánchez, my mother, died quietly Tuesday evening. My father, siblings, our aunt (her sister), and my niece surrounded her. This has been the most difficult four months of my father’s and brothers’, Jose and Adrian’s, lives. My brothers and I have been returning home to care for our mother since January. She was never left alone at home or when visiting the hospital.
As her full-time carer, it has been a joy and privilege to care for our mother. She was and still is the foundation of my family. My mother was the most selfless person I’d ever met, always looking out for the interests of others. She made certain that anybody who came to her house was fed and that their hands were never empty. Her gentle heart inspired a 20-plus-year career as a caregiver in Haslett’s several assisted living facilities for seniors.
Her experience and desire to help others led to her obtaining her own license and converting our personal family home into an adult foster care facility. She cared for seniors in their final years in a comfortable familial setting provided by our family. My mother was a true Renaissance lady, as talented and imaginative as she was compassionate and caring.
For many years, she was a highly competent seamstress, making quinceanera dresses, traditional Mexican folkloric outfits, exquisite baptismal baby robes, and even her own children’s attire. Her typical home-cooked Mexican foods could cure a cold or a troubled soul and were always in high demand. She was a spiritual person who was deeply committed to the Catholic Church and served as our spiritual guidance. Whereas some people navigate life by choosing between better and worse, my mother provided us with a compass to select between right and evil, for which we will be eternally thankful.
