Anna Lee Mraz Bartra. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Half Moon Bay. "Mila," read her name in the sand. Letters armed by mounds of marigold flowers with details of red and pink roses. Her life was a dedication to others.
Milagro del Carmen Orantes Dheming, known as "Mila" to friends and family, was an elementary school teacher, a teacher of teachers, a friend, mother, grandmother and "soul" mother to many.
Milagro Orantes was one of the pioneers of the Fremont Unified School District's bilingual curriculum. She taught the Spanish-English immersion program at John Blacow Elementary School for more than 40 years and was recognized as a bilingual teacher in 2009 at the Alameda County Office of Education conference.
She retired from teaching in 2019 from Fremont at the young age of 80. She instructed thousands of students during her teaching career and, as she grew in her professional career, she also prepared and mentored other teachers.
In retirement, he enjoyed weekend excursions on the coast, good meals in restaurants and was looking forward to traveling abroad as soon as some of the COVID-19 restrictions began to improve.
Unfortunately and tragically, his retirement was cut short by a medical procedure that did not go as planned.
On Sunday, August 30, amidst trees and with the ocean as a witness at Moss Beach, Mila's family, closest friends, alumni and community leaders gathered to say their final goodbyes around her portrait.
The Moss Beach trail was one of Mila's favorite places, so, with a squeezed heart, the congregants walked together through the woods and along the beach, leaving sempasúchil petals along the trail to wish her a light departure as they did one of her favorite things: a walk along the shore.
At the end of the path, the congregation went down to the beach where they said goodbye to this extraordinary and energetic woman with songs, prayers and tears, while her son, Arturo Samayoa, together with Mila's grandson and granddaughter, returned her to the sea tucked in a salt urn.
Mila will be missed by her family, her friends and the thousands of students and hundreds of teachers she taught and helped. She will live on through their lives.
