Sallie Mae Hidalgo

"The brief silence that follows is as tender as a rainstorm of daisies."

Mathias Malzieu

Sallie Mae Hidalgo of Woodbridge, Virginia passed away on August 27, 2025, at the age of 83 with her family near to her.

In her long, rich life, Sallie had many roles but always demonstrated a profound capacity for kindness and love. Her friends and family remember her for being somebody who always had an extra chair to add to the dinner table for an unexpected guest. She was the first to welcome a new neighbor with a smile and sweets from the oven. Sallie was a collector of antiques of questionable value and a reluctant owner of a handful of rescue dogs who became irreplaceable family members. She was prolific in crafting, leaving behind many Christmas trees decorated with her handiwork. But at every holiday, her kitchen was filled with comforting aromas of family traditions and dishes. The house would be filled with overlapping conversations and the sounds of classic country music, when she could figure out how to make Alexa work. She had a number of jobs inside and outside the home. But beyond her family, her life's work was her gardening. Sallie could be found weeding in the early morning hours so she could enjoy the blooms the rest of the day. Her garden was like her love for people. It was abundant and evolving, colorful not careful, sincere not showy. And never fully contained by borders. She welcomed the darting hummingbirds and gliding butterflies like any other neighbor looking for a warm smile. All finding a reassuring sense of support and peace in her garden that felt like home.

Sallie has been reunited with her parents; husband, Bob; sister, Lake; daughter, Jaye Lynn; and other family members and chosen family members (including puppies) in her passing. She will be missed by her children, Vicki, Kim, and Mark; as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Details of a Celebration of Life gathering will be forthcoming.