Dolores Segui

1927 - 2024

Dolores Limonta Segui

December 28, 1927 - January 20, 2024

Dolores Segui, beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many, died peacefully in her home, surrounded by family, at the age of 96.

Dolores was born in Matawan, New Jersey, on December 28, 1927, to parents Hortense and Manuel Limonta. Her French mother, who was a seamstress, came to the States through Ellis Island in 1914. When Dolores was 2 years old, the family moved to Southern France. She also spent time in Spain visiting family in Barcelona. She grew up speaking English, French, and Spanish.

Living in Europe as fear of World War II was increasing, her Cuban father moved the family to Cuba in 1938. They spent a few years there until her father, who was a painter, got a job representing Cuba in the Pan-American Pavilion at the 1939/40 World's Fair in New York. They moved again, back to New York, and lived there until 1942. They returned to Cuba, and Dolores studied at the Normal School to be a teacher. Living in Santiago de Cuba in 1952, she met the love of her life, Luis Segui, and they were married shortly after. They had 3 children, Loly (1953), Luisin (1958), and Betty (1968).

In 1968 she and her family were repatriated to the USA, and moved to southern California where her half-brother Carlos Scuria and his family lived in Thousand Oaks. The Segui family settled in Santa Maria, and with the help of generous family and neighbors, found a house to rent and employment. Dolores started working at the baby store Stork Shop and then began a 17 year career as a bilingual eligibility worker with Santa Barbara County's Department of Social Services, where she retired in 1992 at the age of 65. Her co-workers referred to her as the Queen of the AFDC (Aid for Families with Dependent Children) and wrote a song which was sung by all at her retirement party.

Dolores was always actively volunteering, serving as an ESL tutor at the Friends of the Library and the Central Coast Literacy Council, an aide at the Santa Maria Public Library, and director of the St. John's Center. Being of strong faith as a Catholic all her life, the Seguis joined St. Mary's Church in 1969 and then in 1986, Dolores and Luis moved to the new St. John Neumann's church. For 17 years she served as the Council Secretary and served many years as an usher. Through her 90s she also volunteered at Marian Hospital on the Labor and Delivery floor.

Dolores enjoyed many hobbies throughout her life: stamp collecting, sewing, knitting, and crocheting. She was an avid reader, always with a library book in her car. She would intentionally arrive early to things so she could sit in her car and read. She loved playing board games with her family and loved all types of puzzles, Sudoku and Cipher being her favorites. She was working on a favorite Dowdle 500-piece jigsaw puzzle the week before she died. Given that her husband Luis always had a camera in his hand, Dolores made photo albums for every family member, including ones for herself.

In November of 2002, Dolores and Luis celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, with a renewal of vows and a luncheon. Luis died in November of 2013, a year after they celebrated 60 years of happy marriage.

She is survived by her children Dolores (Loly) Chiariello Mosel, Luis Segui, and Betty Wenzel; son-in-law Peter Wenzel; grandchildren Julie Chiariello, Grace Wenzel and Kate Wenzel; great grandson Saige Doerr; nieces and nephews from the Scuria Family; first cousin once-removed Karen Marsh, and nieces and nephews from the Lenzano and Segui families in Cuba, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Florida, and Mexico.

Join us to celebrate Dolores's exemplary life at St. John Neumann's Church in Santa Maria on Friday, March 1 at 11am, with a reception following in the Parish Hall from 12-2.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the Central Coast Literacy Council (centralcoastliteracycouncil.org). We are grateful for the nurses and staff of Central Coast Home Health and Hospice for their care of Dolores.