Maria del Rufugio Gutierrez Ulloa Puig, 69, passed away Monday, Dec. 19, 2022 at her home in Westlake, La. Maria was born June 24, 1953 in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she grew up with 24 siblings, and graduated high school. When she was 18 years old, Maria moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where she became a permanent resident of the United States and worked in a plant assembling rifles. She remained a resident of Los Angeles until 25 years ago, when she moved to Southwest Louisiana, where she, along with her husband, owned and operated Maria’s Mexican Food Restaurant in Westlake until it closed. Operating the restaurant was a perfect fit for her, since she loved cooking, and she was very good at it, especially when it came to enchiladas and tamales. Along with cooking, Maria also loved shopping, home decorating, and spending quality time with her family, especially her girls and her granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by her father, Juan Gutierrez Ramirez; her mother, Maria del Refugio Ulloa Velasco; a stepdaughter, Jualisa Puig; and several siblings.
Those left to mourn Maria’s passing include her husband of 35 years, Julio Antonio Puig; her daughter, Priscilla Puig Thibodeaux and her husband Chad Thibodeaux; her daughter, Sarah Puig; her granddaughter, Adela Katherine Thibodeaux; four step-children; 10 siblings, including Isabel, Tere, Leticia, Susana and Mario; and many step-grandchildren, nieces and nephews that she adored and loved.
Her visitation will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 at Saint Theodore Catholic Church, 785 Sam Houston Jones Parkway in Moss Bluff, and will continue until the Rosary is prayed at 2:30 p.m. That will be followed by Maria’s Memorial Mass, which will be celebrated at 3 p.m.
Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com, as service arrangements are under the direction of Hixson Funeral Home, 3001 Ryan Street in Lake Charles.