Irma T. Marquez Tapia

On January 18, 2019, Irma Tamaras Márquez Tapia, widow of Hector Tapia Velázquez, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and aunt, died after a respiratory arrest. She was 72 years old.

Irma was born on November 30, 1946, in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. She worked for the Department of Education as a Secondary English teacher for 30 years. Upon moving to Rochester, New York, she worked as a social worker for 2 years, helping her community. She studied her bachelor's degree at the University of Puerto Rico and obtained her master's degree from the University of Phoenix in San Juan.

Irma loved educating others. She always had an immense love for Loiza. So much was the love that she dedicated a book called "Teaching cultural traditions in the schools of Loiza and school learning", which was published in December 1993. She loved to travel, so every summer and December, she dedicated them to her family that lives outside of Puerto Rico. She visited her children and other relatives. She loved to dance, sing karaoke, share with family and, the most she enjoyed was to fulfill her tradition of preparing the party and procession for Saint Santiago Apóstol.

Her passion for Santiaguito was so great that even though she left Puerto Rico, she was always there for the tradition to continue. It was one of the most important things in her life and in the life of her people. Besides, she did not like to be called Irma, since for her that is an old name. Everyone called her Tamara.

Tamara will be remembered forever by her beautiful family; her son Hector Jr; daughters Leyda and Sherley; her sister Norma Márquez and her brother Felix José Márquez; her sister-in-law Zoraida Ramos Bush; her son-in-law Roldan and Angel; his daughter-in-law Yomary; her grandchildren Valeria, Paola, Carlos, Hector, Dathan, Andrea, Pedro, Johnmar and Joshmar; her great-grandsons Mykai, Kaidan, Cayson and other nephews, family and friends