Demetria Alcantar

Demetria Herrera Alcantar Demetria left this world for another on Sunday, June 5, 2011. Born in the village of Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, Mexico . She came to this country in 1950 to be with the love of her life, Felix Alcantar. She and Felix were married and were devoted to one another for fifty years. Emboldened by a fierce work ethic, she toiled in apricot orchards, worked in the laundry industry, and spent thirty years on the line at Gallo Salami. Demetria and Felix were firm and loving parents who worked long hours to ensure their daughters had the opportunity of higher education. Demetria also brought with her, recipes from her childhood, and she will be remembered for her steaming hot tortillas and tamales. Her recipes will nurture many for years to come, since she entrusted them to those of us that participated in family and friend tradition, the Annual Tamaleada. We learned from her skill but mostly from her intense love of family. She softly sang every day, usually Mexican ballads and lullabies. She was a warm and protective caregiver to her grandchildren. Pre-deceased by Felix, Demetria will be forever remembered by her brother, Elias Herrera, daughters Yolanda Alcantar (Robert Parrulli), Leticia Alcantar (Virgil Pryor), grandchildren Lena Chudzinski, Joseph Parrulli, Santino Parrulli, Nicolas Pryor-Alcantar, and Lucas Pryor-Alcantar, great grandchildren Brittany and David Chudzinski and cousins Antonio and Elena Alcantar, many nieces and nephews including Martha Rivas, and countless relatives and friends. The family wishes to acknowledge the kind and devoted caregivers and staff at Irene Swindell?s Alzheimers Residential Program and the 30th Street Senior Center. Demetria, you will be missed tremendously but we rejoice in knowing that you and Papi are forever together. Your grandchildren ask only one favor of you, Abuelita: please sing in heaven. Friends and family are invited to attend Viewing at Valente Marini Perata and Company, 4840 Mission Street, San Francisco, on Wednesday, June 8th from 1:30 p.m. ? 9:00 p.m. and to attend the Vigil service at 7pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, June 9th at 10:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church, 62 Santa Rosa Avenue, San Francisco. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, in Colma. Anyone interested in making a donation can make checks payable to 30th Street Senior Center (225 -30th Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94131). In the memo of the check please write: In memory of Demetria Alcantar.

Demetria Alcantar

January 17, 1931 - June 5, 2011