Maria Delores Santos' Obituary
Maria Delores Santos, 91, of Cleveland, Ohio, formerly of Lorain, Ohio, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025. She was born on September 15, 1934, in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, to the late Tomas and Maria (Alvarado) Melendez.
Maria retired from Lorain Community Hospital after 25 years of dedicated service as a nurse’s aide and in hospitality. A devout Catholic, she was a former member of Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain and a current member of Our Lady of Angels Parish in Cleveland. Her faith was the cornerstone of her life. She was a devoted member of the Legion of Mary since 1974 and the Secular Franciscan Order since 2008, and she found deep fulfillment in bringing Holy Communion to the homebound. Maria also volunteered as a transporter at Fairview Hospital, always offering kindness and comfort to those she served.
She enjoyed swimming, gardening, cross-stitching, reading, puzzles, and crocheting, and she was rarely quiet—often found singing or whistling beautiful music as she went about her day.
Maria was a loving mother to Noel Santos of Lorain, Ohio; Raquel Cates of Cleveland, Ohio; Mireya (Scott) Johnson of Louisville, KY, Lourdes (Gabriel) DeJesus of New Port Richey, Florida; Nellie Santos of Lakewood, Ohio; Sonia Reiber of Lorain, Ohio; and Judith (Joseph) Mueller of Jackson, Michigan. She was a cherished grandmother to Alexis Santos, Natalie Santos, Brandon Johnson, Jacqueline Santos, Irma “Pootie” McKinney, Johnathan Santos, Luchian Gavna, Daniella Santos, Jillian Mueller, and Jacob Mueller. She was a treasured great-grandmother to Andrew Santos, Cale Reed, Lauryn Thomas, Alexis “AJ” Santos, Kennedy Santos, Arianna Santos, Delilah Santos, Madison Santos, Sloan Scott, Juan Cintron, McKenzie Taylor Santos, Liana Bates, Amri McKinney, Anakin McKinney, Jenecia Baez, James Ward, Kayden Santos, Lexi Santos, and Robert Gavna; and a beloved great-great-grandmother to Kali Daugherty, Kaia Daugherty, and Elias Bentancourt Santos. She is also survived by her dear sisters Virginia Melendez of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, and Paulina Hernandez of Lorain, Ohio.
In addition to her parents, Maria was preceded in death by her sisters, Sabina Melendez and Maria Thomasa (Maro) Ortiz.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 4, 2026, from 3:00–5:00 PM at Dovin & Reber Jones Funeral and Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road Amherst, Ohio 44001. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Avenue, Lorain, Ohio 44055 with visitation at the chapel beginning at 8:30 AM until the time of Mass. Interment will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Resthaven Memory Gardens, Avon, Ohio. Please meet at the cemetery gates at 1:45 PM.
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