Lydia Mae (Lopez) Lopez

Lydia Mae Lopez, 55, of Albuquerque, passed away on Friday, April 25, 2014, in Albuquerque. She was born Dec. 8, 1958, in Otis, to Mary Wero-Lopez and Jimmy Kee Lopez. She was born to Bitter Water Clan (Todich'ii'nii), and born for Towering House Clan (Kin ya'aanii).
Lydia attended various elementary schools beginning at Kimbeto day school and finally finishing her elementary education at Brethren Navajo Mission in Counselor. She attended Bloomfield High School, but left after one year. She left school then started a family in the Carson area. Lydia had three children.
She then returned to school in Tahlequah, Okla., and earned her G.E.D. She returned to New Mexico and settled in Sweetwater, Ariz., where she had four more children.
In 1997, she moved to Albuquerque, where she worked various jobs. She went back to school and received a medical coding degree from Apollo College. She was proud of her degree.
Lydia worked in the healthcare field until health problems forced her to stop working. She enjoyed doing crafts, crossword puzzles and gardening. She was proud of her backyard garden. She loved anything that was purple or pink.
Lydia loved her kids, sisters and her brother. She was at her happiest when they visited.
She was preceded in death by her son Nathaniel Castiano; parents; brother Louis I. Lopez; and her sister Marilyn Lopez.
Lydia is survived by her son Padrian George; daughters, Jamie Lynn George, Charlene Saunders, Lindra George, Calandra Castiano and Casondra Castiano; brother Daniel Lopez; sisters, Sherry Boyd, Genevieve Yazzie and Suzanne Lopez-Sam; and 17 grandchildren.
A visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. today, at Cope Memorial Chapel of Kirtland.
A funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Friday, May 2, at Navajo Brethren in Christ Mission, 240 State Highway 57, in Otis, with Pastor Ben Stoner officiating. Burial will follow in the Navajo Brethren in Christ Mission Cemetery in Otis.
The reception will be in the gym of the Navajo Brethren in Christ Mission.
Pallbearers are Travis Castiano, David Boyd Jr., Manuelito Lopez, Benjamin Yazzie, Harlan Sam and Daniel Lopez Jr.
Lydia's care is entrusted to Cope Memorial Chapel of Kirtland, 458 Road 6100, 505-598-9636.