Obituary of Maria Estela Benavides

Maria Estela Benavides of Port Jervis and formerly of Manhattan died Sunday, October 6, 2019 at home.  She was 86.

She was born August 10, 1933 in Latacunga, Ecuador the daughter of the late Rafael Antonio Jara and the late Esperanza Cruz Romero.

Maria was 1 of 10 children born and raised in Quito, Ecuador before moving to the United States in 1965.

A Family Statement read: Maria Estella Benavides had a zest for life, she loved to travel abroad exploring new parts of the world and often spent time visiting her family in Ecuador. Maria was very artistic and loved arts and crafts! She would often spend hours sewing, making outfits, and drawing. At her previous residence in Manhattan, NY she was very active in community events, including fashion shows and beauty contests (which she won!) as well as the arts and crafts programs. After moving to Port Jervis, Maria brought her love for creativity to her friends at Sentinel, sharing her artwork and spreading joy to everyone around her. Maria loved people and could light up a room with her smile. She loved to spend time outside gardening, taking care of her plants and flowers, surrounding herself around beautiful scents and colors. In her best days and her worst days she always said La Vida es Bonita.

Surviving are:

Son: Jorge “George” Benavides

Son: Jorge “George” Benavides and his wife Janet

Daughter: Silvia Beatriz Lodico and her husband Dan

Daughter: Patricia Esperanza Benavides and her husband Chris

Daughter: Lourdes Aldas and her husband Edgar, Quito Ecuador

11 Grandchildren:

Bryan, Crystal, Jennifer, Michael, Tiffany, Matthew, Cathleen, Isabelle, Joey, Ricky, and Anita

Also several great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 9:00am – 11:00am.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at Gray-Parker Funeral Home, Inc. 100 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY 12771 with Pastor Tom Zahradnik of the First Assembly of God in Port Jervis officiating.

Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 65-40 Grand Ave., Flushing, NY  11378

Memorial contributions may be made to First Assembly of God, PO Box 39, Port Jervis, NY 12771

Funeral arrangements by Gray-Parker Funeral Home, Inc., 100 E. Main ST., Port Jervis, NY 12771  845.856.5191  For additional information, directions or to send a condolence note to the family visit www.grayparkerfuneralhome.com