Maria Torres

Maria Torres, age 81, of Siena Village in Wayne, passed Friday, May 27, 2022 peacefully at home.

She was born in Caibarien, Cuba and came to the United States when Fidel Castro was letting people leave the country.  She initially settled in Miami then moved to live in New York City.

Maria worked as a seamstress in New York at 34th and Broadway sewing bathing suits in the wintertime and blouses and pants during the summer months.  During school breaks she would bring her daughter Sonia with her to work to show her she should study and not follow in mom's footsteps.

Maria left her family and siblings behind in Cuba so she could give her family a better life in America.  She was proud that she was able to see her daughter, and her two grandchildren all get college educations.  After her husband Ralph passed away, she cared for his parakeet whom she was sure had a little of his spirit in it.

Maria will be remembered as a humble, simple, loving person who was always helping.  As she grew up with nothing, she was appreciative of many things that are normally taken for granted. Most of all Maria’s life revolved around her grandchildren. Maria was dedicated to her Catholic faith and for many years attended Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.

Maria was the loving wife of the late Jose Perera (d. 1967) and the late Rafael “Ralph” Torres (d. 2013); she was the devoted mother of Sonia Ceccarelli and her husband Ray of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Mitchell and Eric Newman; and beloved sister of Olga, Dalia, Florita, Angel, Pedro and Jesus.