Maria Elizabeth Espitia

Elizabeth Espitia, beloved wife and soulmate of Luis Perez and mother of Nathan Perez-Espitia, passed away surrounded by her family on March 6, 2016. She fought a bitter struggle against cancer during which she became an inspiration to all who knew her. Elizabeth was born in Medellin Colombia in 1964, the only daughter of Rabino Espitia and Rocio Loaiza. She came to the United States as a student in 1992, and it was as a graduate student that she met her husband of 19 years. Their families had conspired to get them to go out together in August 1996, and Luis, knowing a good thing when he saw one, proposed to her in November 1996 and by March 1997 they were married. Their son Nathan, was born to rave reviews in 2000. She became a proud American citizen in 2001, and that same year Elizabeth joined Windham Public Schools as the Attendance Coordinator at the Middle School. She soon realized that she felt at home, working hard to protect Windham's children and to fight school absenteeism. Her conviction was that only through education our children could achieve the promise of a better future, that all of our children deserve a chance. Her commitment was unwavering and lasted until her body could no longer sustain it. She loved "her kids"; she loved the people she worked with, and she loved Windham. Wife, mother, dearest of friends, we will always miss her. She made all of our lives extraordinary. Elizabeth's Memorial Mass will be held Monday, April 11, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., Sagrado Corazon Church, 61 Club Rd., Windham, CT. In lieu of flowers, our family would like to ask anyone interested to donate to St Francis Hospital Cancer Center, whose loving and dedicated staff cared for Elizabeth and fought the good fight with us. To sign the online memorial book please visit, www.potterfuneralhome.com