Margaret R. Almazan was born January 10, 1947 in Del Rio Texas.  She went to her eternal home on Sunday, July 5, 2020.  She was known to her family and closest friends as "Maggie".  For those who knew her best, it was fitting that she chose a Sunday to let go of her earthly life.  Her love of God and her faith in Him was great.  She went to sleep every night in prayer and woke up every morning in prayer, determined that her words and her deeds each day would honor God.  Her service to God, her Church and to everyone she encountered in life did just that.

Maggie spent much of the last two decades of her life as a nurse and caregiver to her immediate family members who preceded her in death.  First, she cared for her brother, Robert A. Pickett.  Then she took care of her husband, Jesse after his lung transplant.  Finally, she cared for her Mother Severa Paredes Morin, who suffered from the same ovarian cancer that took Maggie from us.  Maggie is survived by extended family and dear friends whom she loved as family.

Maggie was always ready to venture into anything new and creative.  Her first career was in hair design, working in her Mother's salon, and she went on to train in advanced hair design in New York.  On December 30, 1977, she married the love of her life, Jesse Almazan.  Jesse introduced her to a whole new world of art and creativity. She went on to run the business of promoting Jesse's artwork, and her own business of designing and selling fine jewelry.  Later, Maggie became a certified cook, completing her training with the Culinary Institute of America Food Bank Program, and she loved traveling the backroads of Texas working with Don Strange Catering.  Maggie was constantly in search of new creations, whether it be floral designs, Christmas wreaths and decorations, or developing new and more flavorful recipes through constant experimentation.

Maggie was slow to anger and quick to love.  She was always drawn to people who were somehow damaged and needed someone to talk to.  Listening with compassion and empathy was Maggie's superpower.  She could carry on a conversation with anyone about any topic.  She could always find just the right words to build someone up when they were at their lowest.  To be with Maggie was to experience the world through the idealism and imagination of a child.  She could create laughter out of any situation.  To be with her was to just feel better.

The world was a much better place with Maggie in it, and it will be a much sadder place with her gone.  That said, Maggie would not want us to grieve for long.  She would want us to exchange happy stories about our experiences with her and to recall the times she made us laugh or marvel at her creativity and strength.

We wish to thank Dr. Antonio Santillan-Gomez, Dr. Alfredo Santillan, Dr. Maria Luna,  and Jessica Perreau FNP-C for the spiritual and loving care they provided Maggie over the last seven years.

In the spirit that defined her, Maggie asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Antonio, 6301 Culebra Rd, San Antonio, TX  78238-4909 or through PayPal, or to Centro Cultural Aztlan, through the PayPal link on their website www.CentroAztlan.org.