Maria Barbara Dziuban, age 66, of Mission Viejo, California, was born on October 8, 1954, and passed peacefully on Sunday December 13, 2020.

Beloved special child of God and gift to her family. Beloved daughter of Stanley Dziuban, Sr and Elizabeth Ann (Lane) Dziuban. Beloved sister of Stanley Jr, Robert, Stephen and Richard. Beloved cousin of Gina, Kitty, Sue, Jan, Emogene and Mary Anne. Beloved aunt of Deirdre, Sarah, Eric, Elaine, Nicole, Michael, Will, Gabe, Daniel and Matthew. Beloved to staff and residents of the Bethesda Lutheran Homes. Beloved to so many other relatives and friends.

Counter to the institutional thinking at the time about developmentally disabled children, Stan and Betty Ann were determined that Maria have as normal a life, and as rich a family life, as possible. Their life-long dedication included very active support of the developmentally disabled children community, as well as for adults in later years.

Beyond being “big brothers”, Stan Jr, Bob, Steve and Rick fiercely and actively defended her right to a life full of experiences. They, their families and their relatives shared many memorable times with Maria, and they are the better because of this. Maria always had a ready smile for anyone around her. She was always eager to meet and chat with new people. She was ‘the light’ in many people’s lives.

A Memorial Vigil will be held at O’Connor Mortuary on Sunday December 27 ^th at 2pm Pacific time. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Kilian Catholic Church on Tuesday December 29 ^th at 10am Pacific time. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance is limited to invitation-only for both services.

Maria will be interred with her parents at the USMA Cemetery, West Point, NY.

Maria loved animals and often visited pet stores to spend time with the cats. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Maria’s name to your local animal shelter or to: Laguna Beach Animal Shelter (949) 497-3552 http://puplagunabeach.org/make-a-donation.php