On Feb. 2, my grandmother passed away at 94 years old.
Maria Lopera, whom I called “Mamita” or “Mita,” died peacefully in her sleep that Sunday morning after battling stage four pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed in October 2024, and while I know she’s in a better place now, I miss her terribly. She was one of the kindest, most hardworking humans I will ever know.
Mita immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia in 1958 with the help of the Conley family, whom she worked for as a nanny. While she was taking care of five children, she also attended night school to learn English.
She would tell me about the culture shocks she experienced like seeing women wear pants and riding an escalator for the first time. She struggled in the beginning and cried every day due to homesickness but managed to persevere through hard work.
My grandmother had worked at Concordia College of Milwaukee as a custodian and was a housecleaner for many people. One of the houses she cleaned was the Shiely’s, a family who loved my grandmother like she was one of their own.
I had the privilege of speaking with two of the Shiely family members and listening to their memories of my Mita. Catherine “Tat” Shiely founded Marquette women’s athletics and was the head volleyball coach for 24 seasons. At the time, she was the only woman in the nation to be head coach of women’s volleyball and basketball simultaneously. She reminisced on my grandmother’s unique personality.
“She was like the Energizer Bunny,” Tat said. “I always thought ‘How does she keep going?’ She pretty much did everything she wanted to do in her life. She was happy all the way to the end. One of the most beautiful people in our life.”
Tat’s brother, Vincent Shiely, attended Marquette where he earned his MBA. He knew my grandmother since he was 9 years old and has many fond memories of her. He recalls her absolute devotion to her Catholic faith and the time they went to church together to celebrate Good Friday.
“She was my mom’s best friend, and she became one of my best buds,” Vincent said. “She loved her faith and went to church all the time. She was the closest thing to a saint I have ever known.”
He described my grandmother with this Beatitude, which I wholeheartedly agree with: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Mita was the embodiment of “small but mighty.” Her petite 4’11’’ frame carried her through a wonderful life. She immigrated to the U.S., started a family of her own and a new legacy. She met incredible people and traveled to places she only ever saw in books. She earned a third-degree black belt in taekwondo and climbed every stair in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. She never stopped moving and finally retired at 90 years old. She loved to say, “If I’m alive, I’m going to do it!”
She always fed the birds in the morning and tended her flowers in the spring. Miraculously, without fail, she would find something to do in the kitchen, whether it was cooking, brewing coffee or washing dishes she had already done at least five times that day. Her motivation and self-discipline were exceptionally admirable.
I am beyond grateful to have these memories of Mita with me. From teaching her how to hula-hoop to visiting Europe together, I will forever cherish the experiences I had with her. She always saw the good in people, helped others and loved unconditionally.
As a beloved woman, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, she truly was God’s sweetest angel. I’ll keep her forever in my heart along with the words she would say to me.
“There’s always something to do. So do it.”
This story was written by Rachel Lopera. She can be reached at [email protected].
