Santa Clara officials and neighbors will mark the life of Louise Lagunas, who died April 26, 2026, at the age of 91. A resident of the city since 1973, Lagunas spent decades working in the area’s community college system and was active in local parish life.
Services honoring her life are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, at St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Parish, 1971 St. Lawrence Drive in Santa Clara. Burial-related rites will follow at the nearby Santa Clara mission grounds later that morning.
What Santa Clara residents should know
Lagunas, born Mary Louise Maynes on March 3, 1935, in El Paso, Texas, moved to California in the mid-1950s. She and her husband settled in Santa Clara in 1973, where she lived for more than 50 years. Her professional life included long service as an administrative assistant at Mission College and De Anza College, institutions that serve many local students and families.
Her career began with clerical work at Fort Bliss in 1952 and continued with the Presidio of San Francisco before she paused to raise a family. She later resumed work in higher education administration until her retirement in August 1998.
"Louise will be remembered as a loving parent to her four children, a caring sister to her three siblings, and as a kind and supportive grandmother,"
That description, provided by family and published in her obituary, underscores the community and family ties she maintained in Santa Clara. She worshiped regularly at Santa Clara Mission and later at St. Lawrence.
Family and local legacy
Lagunas was preceded in death by her eldest son, Armando Jr., who died in 2016, and by her brother, Hector Maynes Sr., in 2024. She is survived by her daughter Rosemarie, two sons, Carlos and Matthew, and a grandson, Miles. Her sisters, Irma Valdez and Toni Yarritu, also survive her.
- Age at death: 91 (born March 3, 1935)
- Date of death: April 26, 2026
- Service: 10:00 a.m., July 29 at St. Lawrence the Martyr
Residents who remember her from the colleges, the parish or neighborhood life may attend the service. The obituary notes that she cherished family, travel and education—values reflected in her long administrative career supporting local higher education institutions.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1935 | Born in El Paso, Texas |
| 1952 | Started clerical work at Fort Bliss |
| 1956 | Relocated to California |
| 1973 | Moved to Santa Clara |
| 1998 | Retired from De Anza College (August) |
| 2026 | Died April 26; service July 29 in Santa Clara |
Family members have asked that those who attend the service respect parish protocols. For anyone seeking additional details about the service or visitation, contacting St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish directly is advised.
