Florencia Gomez Maldonado, 99, a resident of Silver City, NM entered eternal rest Friday, September 19, 2025 at Genesis Health Care in Silver City, NM. She was born October 27, 1925 in Gila, NM to Cesario and Manuela Maldonado. Florencia attended Cliff schools and graduated from high school in May of 1945.
After her dad (Cesario) passed in 1945, she became her moms' (Manuela) caregiver until her mom passed away in 1984. Then, in 1985, Florencia moved to Silver City.
When she moved to Silver City, she decided she wanted to volunteer for the Senior Volunteer Program at the Silver City Elementary Schools as a "Grandma". She volunteered from 1987 to 2017. Florencia enjoyed working with kids and treasured pictures, gifts and personal items the kids made for her in school. She also liked to sew, knit and do some embroidery.
Florencia had many nieces and nephews and kept track of their birthdays in a notebook.
She remembered all of them and would call them or send birthday cards. She enjoyed their celebrations, whether they were birthdays, weddings or holidays.
Florencia never forgot her "ranchito", as she would call it. She cherished visiting her home in Gila, when she had a chance and enjoyed every moment, even with her lack of eyesight she knew every piece of furniture in her home. When she would go to the orchard, she would go to the acequia to feel it and would say "que fresca esta la agua". Florencia and her mom enjoyed watching her nieces and nephews play in the water. She would pick apples, peaches, pears and plums to take home and make jam or jelly with them.
A quote she wrote in a book was of a favorite place: "I would like to be in a quiet place with birds and flowers all around".
She is survived by twelve nieces; four nephews and various great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded by 13 Siblings, 8 brothers and 5 sisters: Petra, Louis. Guillermo Maldonado, Avelina (Hilaro) Polanco, Leopoldo (Manuela) Maldonado, Porfrio (Anita) Maldonado, Petra (Julian) Munoz, Pascuala (Urbano) Chacon, Manuel (Hortencia) Maldonado, Emma (Johnny)Borrego, Eutimo Maldonado, Guillermo (Juanita) Maldonado, Hilario (Juanita) Maldonado.
The holy rosary will be celebrated on Thursday, September 25th at 9:30am at Terrazas Funeral Chapels with Dr. Gilbert Arizaga reciting. The funeral mass will follow at St. Francis Newman Center at 11am with Father Ephraim Ezulike officiating. Concluding service, she will be laid to rest at the family Maldonado cemetery. Pallbearers are Julio Munoz, Bobby Torrez, Toby Luna, Larry Polanco, and Jesus Saenz.
Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels "Trusted care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
