Esther Plaza, of Hoover, Alabama, passed away at age 77 on March 4, 2022. Born on December 22, 1944, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico to Lorenzo Plaza and Alicia Quiles Plaza, Esther held convictions as fiery as the red locks she had growing up. Those who were blessed with her presence can attest to her artistic flair, selfless heart, and the compassion she held for both humans and animals, particularly cats.

Attending Catholic school as a child, Esther was a precocious child with aspirations of becoming a nun. While those plans may not have worked out, she was nevertheless adept at quickly adjusting to life changes, living in locales as diverse as Oscoda, Michigan; Seville, Spain; Boston, Massachusetts; Dothan, Alabama; and Kansas City, Missouri.

Esther studied social work at the University of Massachusetts. The jobs she held throughout life were diverse: she worked as a telephone operator for U.S. Coast Guard, as a social worker in Massachusetts, as an office administrator at the Mennonite School in Puerto Rico, and as a court reporter before retiring to care for her grandson. As her life progressed, Esther came to appreciate the simple things in life, a trait which those she leaves behind are following her example in cultivating.

Esther is predeceased by her parents and brother Luis Alberto “Puchito” Plaza. She is survived by her daughter Alice Reeder Johnson, grandson William “Liam” Youngblood, sister Ada Rosa Plaza, and brothers Jose Luis Plaza, Edwin Plaza, and David Plaza. Visitation will be held at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Hoover, Alabama on Monday, March 14 at 5:00 PM. The rosary will be prayed at 5:30 followed by a memorial service at 6:00.