Cecilia E. Chirinos

Cecilia Esther Chirinos, daughter of Walter Joseph Main and Viola Kathryn Shannon, was born June 9, 1937 in Storm Lake, Iowa, and died January 15, 2011 at Mercy Hospital Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 73. When Cecilia was 5 years old, her family moved to Fremont, Nebraska. In 1943 they moved to Perry, Iowa where she attended St. Patrick Catholic School, graduating in 1955. Cecilia received First Communion at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Cecilia earned her Secretarial Degree from A.I.B. in Des Moines in 1956. She was married in 1957 and was blessed with two children John Gilbert and Barbara Marie. Cecilia lived in Lima, Peru from 1962 until moving to Miami in 1964. After her divorce in 1973, she returned to Perry. She worked for North Central Gas Company and in 1976 started working for the Woodward Resouce Center. Cecilia was an administrative assistant for DHS in Des Moines for 11 years. Cecilia was a faithful member of St. Patrick Church and a very active member of Regina Guild, having served as leader of the group and assisting with all their projects. Cecilia continued with her mother Viola's dedication to preparing and serving funeral lunches. Cecilia loved all animals, feeding many birds and squirrels. She loved her cat "Oreo" who was her constant companion and fondly remembered growing up with a Saint Bernard dog. Cecilia suffered the loss of two children, son Timothy Amadeo and daughter Mary Theresa. She was also preceded in death by her father Walter Main and step-father Tom McMahon. Left to treasure her memory are her mother Viola McMahon of Perry, Iowa; son John Chirinos and wife Jodi of Phoenix, Arizona; daughter Barbara Chirinos and fiancé Danal Anderson of Minneapolis, MN; granddaughter Jana Lee Chirinos of Phoenix, Arizona; sister Theresa Cushman and husband Paul of Omaha, Nebraska; brother Steve Main of Chicago, Illinois; her longtime companion Jerald L. Thompson of Derby, Iowa; uncle Don Main of Des Moines, Iowa; aunt Doris Gustafson of Arnolds Park, Iowa; and Laverne Mommer of Des Moines, Iowa; nieces and nephew, numerous cousins, other relatives and many, many friends. Memorials directed to the American Cancer Society or the Humane Society may be left at the funeral home.