Maria-Elena Llamas

Maria Elena Llamas (a.k.a. Len or Marilen) died peacefully in Tracy, CA surrounded by her family on August 26, 2019 at the age of 59. Elena was lovingly cared for full-time from the onset of her illness right up to her last breath by her most devoted fiancé, Dan (a.k.a. Danilo, Daniel, Dan the Man, Danny), and for this we are forever grateful to him.
Elena is survived by her parents, Edward Roco and Aurora “Bo” Legaspi Llamas of Fremont, CA; siblings, Edward “Ito” Llamas, III of Antioch, CA and Josie “Joji” L. Morgado of Tracy, CA; sister-in-law, Cynthia Weber Llamas of Antioch, CA; brother-in-law, Johnny L. Morgado of Tracy, CA; ex-husband, Ramiro Carlos of Santa Rosa, CA; daughter, Clarisa Carlos of San Jose, CA; ex-sister-in-law, Lashey Lajander of San Ramon, CA; nephews, Justin Llamas of Antioch, CA, Jason Morgado of Oakland, CA, Jonathan Morgado of Tracy, CA; nieces, Kara Llamas of Brentwood, CA, Genis Llamas of Antioch, CA; fiancé, Dan Rodriguez of Tracy, CA.
Elena was born on March 22, 1960 in Manila, Philippines to Edward and Aurora “Bo” Llamas. She along with her parents, brother and sister, arrived in the USA on August 4, 1973. Elena graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Marketing. She married Ramiro Carlos in 1992, had their daughter, Clarisa (her pride and joy), in 1999, and divorced in 2016. Elena lived in American Canyon, CA for many years, then in Vallejo, CA for about three years before moving in with her sister and her family in Tracy, CA in May 2019.
Elena held several roles while working at State Farm for almost 25-years. She ultimately took their early-retirement package in November 2018, when State Farm’s Vallejo office closed down.
Elena was a vibrant/fun, generous, funny, creative, kind-hearted and very loving individual.
§Vibrant/fun: Elena effortlessly lit up a room with her beautiful smile and upbeat presence (think ‘life of the party’). She was so friendly that everyone who met her felt like they had known her for years.
§Generous: Elena gave beautiful and thoughtful gifts to everyone, always praising others in their accomplishments no matter how big or small, and was generous with her time when anyone needed her. She donated to World Vision charity, keeping in touch with a couple of the kids she sponsored well into their adulthood.
§Funny: Elena’s sense of humor captivated everyone around her. She brought joy and laughter in all conversations. She and her sister, Josie, were like ‘Lucy & Ethel’ when together. She saw the humor in most everything and loved to laugh often.
§Creative: The greeting cards Elena adorned with colorful fun stickers, photographs and her fancy calligraphy-like handwriting were a work of art – the kind of card that everyone keeps for years! She loved putting together photo albums for others, using hundreds of photos she personally captured and paid to have developed.
§Kind-hearted: Elena had a big heart for both people and animals, accepting everyone for who they are. Many people have commented that their lives were for the better from simply having met and interacted with her, even if it was very brief. Elena loved her cat Mr. Blue, and her dogs Romeo and Snickers, as well as her sister’s dogs Wesley, Yoda and Chica, and parrot, Paulie. Being kind was truly in her DNA – it’s simply who she was.
§Very loving: Elena was the epitome of Love. She was a beacon of light to all who were fortunate enough to cross her path. She radiated Love in all facets of her life. Elena was, is and always will be the essence of Love.
Elena loved the beach, especially the ones in Maui, Monterey and Santa Cruz. She loved snorkeling in the warm waters of Maui. She had a passion for exploring flea markets, farmers markets, art & wine festivals, and wineries, always taking time to really get to know the folks who worked at these places. Elena easily made friends wherever she went, often keeping in touch with many of them for years. Elena had a keen eye for photography, loved taking pictures wherever she went and was often voted by her friends and family to be the photographer for many special occasions. Most of all, she loved taking long drives with Dan, her fiancé, to simply explore new towns, restaurants, sights/sounds, etc. She loved Dan deeply with all her heart and entire being.
Elena’s Life Celebration is scheduled for Friday, September 13th, 3 pm PST at Fry Memorial Chapel (doors open at 2 pm) with a reception to follow at Casa Grande Mexican restaurant in Tracy. Pastor Nick Castro of Family Church of Praise will officiate the ceremony. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to World Vision (https://www.worldvision.org/), Elena’s favorite charity for many years.

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