Lucila Carmen Coto

LUCILA CARMEN COTO (Tia) 10/30/1918 – 12/06/2014 There is a new angel in Heaven! Our beloved mother departed from this world on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at Alta View Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born on October 30, 1918, twelve days before WWI ended, in San Salvador, El Salvador, to Casimiro Coto and Laura Elena Velado. Her professional dream was to become a typist but life happened and at age 13 she started to work as a seamstress to help her parents in raising her two brothers, Luis Alonso and Rafael Antonio, both preceded her on death, along with a brother and a sister who died before she was born. Tia, the affectionate name she was called by almost everyone that had the privilege to cross her path, became an accomplished dressmaker of women and children clothes and also a creator of intricate embroidered pieces of art. She did gorgeous bridal gowns for most of the women in the family and was an exclusive designer for the kids. In spite of being so busy, she managed to take care of her mother until she passed away and mainly raised the five children of her little brother, one of them as her own. Years later also helped to care for several grandchildren and a few great grandchildren. Tia dedicated her entire life to the service of others and in the process sacrificed all of her dreams; however, she was not bitter and never regretted her choices. She always said, “Accepting life as it comes has been my philosophy.” Tia was very humble and calm, she forgave offenses, did not speak ill of others and never raised her voice or insult anyone. After surviving earthquakes, coups, a war with a neighboring country, a civil war on top of coping with many hardships, she found peace and a better life in America. She was grateful for the blessings she had and was very proud of her membership in the LDS Church, and of attaining her goal in becoming a U.S. Citizen. She traveled extensively across the U.S. and Europe and in her later years learned to paint and write beautiful poems; her desire to learn new things was with her until almost the end of her exemplary life. Her last act of kindness was her wish to be a donor of “everything which could still be used,” she said. That was our Mom, an amazing human being, pure on mind, body and spirit. The children of her heart: America Alas (Henry); Mirna Martinez (Rene); Jorge (Alba), Alfonso (Mercedes), Miguel and Alonso Coto; special nephews, Lewis (Bethany), and Henry Alas (Patricia) and special nieces Rocio Soto, Nancy Hansen (David), Katherine Martin (Joseph), Marlen Stewart (Bryant) and Nancy Dávila (Juan). She is also survived by her sister-in law Angela Perez and several other nephews and nieces in El Salvador. Funeral services conducted by Serenity Funeral Home of Draper will be held Friday, December 12th at Sandy Crescent South Stake Center, 275 East 10600 South, at 11:00 A.M., viewing one hour prior to the Service; interment at Midvale City Cemetery. We want to give recognition to her niece Kathy and her husband Joe for taking care of Tia for more than a year at their home, Special recognition to President Osuna, brother and sister Ponce and sisters Torres and Mora. Thanks to the caretakers at Sandy Health and Rehab Center specially Kellie, Norma y Ana and the medical staff at the Alta View Hospital Acute Intense Care, specially Maria, Donna & Martha.

Lucila Carmen Coto

October 30, 1918 - December 6, 2014