Celina Marquez Obituary

Longtime Durango resident Celina M. Marquez died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Durango. She was 95.

Mrs. Marquez was born to Pablo and Feliciana Roybal on Aug. 25, 1916, in Durango. She was the fifth of 12 children.

In the mid-1930s, she married Jose Patricio "Pat" Marquez in Durango. Mrs. Marquez was a homemaker who raised the couple's five sons.

Mrs. Marquez lived most of her life in Durango. During World War II, her husband worked in the coal mines, and the couple lived in Dragerton, Utah, and also in Salt Lake City and Denver.

After Mr. Marquez died, she married Max Gomez in Durango.

She was known for her empanadas and bizcochitos, her son, Roger Marquez said, and enjoyed traveling. She had visited California, Arizona, Florida and Hawaii as well as Spain.

Mrs. Marquez was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and volunteered for a number of activities, including the spaghetti dinner.

"She was a very spiritual and faithful person to the church," her son said. "She never spoke badly about anyone, and she always said, 'If you treat everyone the same, you never have to treat anyone special.'"

Mrs. Marquez was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Pat Marquez; second husband of more than 10 years, Max Gomez; son Charlie Marquez; and grandson Randy Lee Marquez.

She is survived by her sons Ernie Marquez of Littleton, Louis Marquez of Salt Lake City, Roger Marquez of Bloomfield, N.M., and Eddie Marquez of Walnut Creek, Calif.; brothers Dale Roybal of Durango and Phoenix and Victor Roybal of Denver; sister, Jenny Quintana, of Albuquerque; 16 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, at Hood Mortuary, 1261 East Third Ave. A rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 254 East Fifth Ave. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, also at Sacred Heart. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango.