María A. Walsh

María de los Ángeles García de Walsh, died June 18, 2025, in Los Angeles, CA. Born March 10, 1929, in Mexico City, she and her twin sister, Marta, were inseparable throughout their childhoods and youth. At seventeen, they both began careers as clerical workers for the Banco Nacional. María continued working throughout her twenties but never relinquished her aspiration to further her studies. She took classes at the Alianza Francesa, and her submission to an Alianza contest won an all-expense-paid trip to France. In 1958, she met Thomas F. Walsh, a Georgetown University professor, who was visiting Mexico City. Their long-distance courtship culminated in marriage in 1963, and the couple moved to the U.S., where they raised two sons in Silver Spring, MD. The couple forged a strong and loving relationship that lasted nearly thirty years until Tom's untimely death in 1991.

In the 1960s, the Latino population in the Washington, DC, area was negligible. In her new surroundings and with great pride, María presented herself as Mexican. She took pleasure in sharing her knowledge of Mexico, its cultures and traditions, and promoting the Spanish language. In this spirit, she began teaching Spanish at Grace Episcopal Day School in 1969 until her retirement in 1994. During her working years and while raising her sons, María steadily continued to advance her own education from a high school equivalency, to an A.A. degree, and eventually, in 1994, to a B.A. from the University of Maryland with a concentration in Latin American Literature.

She was an active member of Christ the King Catholic Church, as a parishioner, a Catechist, a member of "Social Concerns" committees, and later as a member of the Parish Council, where she advocated for Lay involvement. María was a key figure in advocating for a Spanish language mass and for it to be held in the main sanctuary. María also served as Lector and Eucharistic Minister.

María was committed to volunteering in the community. In the 1970s, she joined the board of directors of Suburban Maryland Fair Housing. The organization was inspired by the Civil Rights movement and worked to protect the availability of low-income rental units and to combat racial discrimination in Montgomery County. Recognizing the needs of the area's growing Spanish-speaking community, she read children's stories in Spanish, taught ESOL, and translated PTA newsletters at local elementary schools. In 1989, she joined the Board of Directors of the newly formed organization, now known as CASA, supporting weekly food distribution and educational programs. María served as an ESOL instructor for 20 years and pioneered a literacy program that she directed until 2007. At the University of Maryland, she served as a docent at Hornbake Library's Katherine Anne Porter Room. She also worked as assistant to anthropology Professor Judith Friedenberg, most notably directing a service program placing University of Maryland anthropology students with CASA and other organizations. María's moral fortitude, accomplishments, and service offer an example of a life well lived.

In addition to her sons, Thomas and Eugene, she is survived by her twin sister, Marta; her daughters-in-law, Patricia and Angie; and grandchildren, Joaquin, Diego, Emilio, Amilkar, and Amaranta. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. On Saturday, August 16, at 5:30 p.m., a funeral mass will take place at Christ the King, 2301 Colston Drive. Silver Spring, MD 20910. Donations can be made in María's memory to CASA Maryland (CASA, c/o Development, 8151 15th Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20783 or wearecasa.org).