Martha Guevara

Martha Evangelina Guevara Obituary

December 10, 1938 - May 21, 2024

Martha Evangelina Guevara was a kind and generous soul, who was fiercely independent and passionate about her family, friends and the students she taught. Martha faced the world with a gentle heart and a warm smile. She always saw the best in people and the bright side of any situation.

Martha was a courageous and determined trailblazer and life-long educator. She graduated with a BS degree in math from Texas Western College, now University of Texas at El Paso, at a time when girls did not pursue math and science. She ultimately earned two masters, one in English Literature and one in Counseling, and a PhD in Education Administration.

She became a high school teacher in her native El Paso, TX. Soon after, she moved to Denver, CO, where she was a teacher and counselor at West High School, a principal at Horace Mann Middle School and assistant principal at Fairview High school in Boulder, CO. After retirement from Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the Boulder Valley School District, she was described by her family as the happiest retiree. An avid reader, she relished tackling the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in red ink.

Martha was committed to her community. When Federico Pena became mayor of Denver, she took time off from DPS to join his cabinet as Manager of Parks and Recreation. As a young teacher, she joined other Latino teachers and community leaders to ensure that Denver Public Schools created career paths for Latino teachers to advance to administrator roles. Highlights of her community involvement, include in 1976, serving as a Founding Mother of Mi Casa Resource Center, a place for women who wanted more for themselves and their families. She also chaired the Board of DESCI, that provided housing for older Denver Public Schools employees and retirees.

Martha was the loving matriarch of the family after her mother, Angela Guevara, died. Her mother had 10 siblings, with 27 children among them. Martha was universally loved by everyone in the family. In addition, there were extended family members and numerous friends who became adopted family.

Martha is survived by her sister, Gloria Guevara Zamora, Gloria's husband, Benjamin Zamora, and 6 nephews and nieces: Andrew (Drew) Guevara, his wife, Lisa Burton Guevara, son, Andrew, and daughter, Zoe; Dodd Guevara, his wife, Gabrielle Mellado-Guevara; Dr. Adrian Guevara, his wife, Carmen-Gloria Yamal, daughter, Alexia and son, Nicolas; Roxanna Guevara; Benjamin David Zamora, his wife, Rebecca Zamora, and sons Diego and Nicolas; Cristina Zamora; sister-in-law, Jacqueline Guevara; her aunt, Charlotte Flores; and a loving extended family and dear friends. Her parents, Andres Guevara and Angela Flores Guevara, and her brother, Andrew R. Guevara, preceded her in death.

A funeral Mass will be held at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 900 W. Midway Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80020 on Friday, June 7, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. A rosary will be said at 10:30 a.m. in the church immediately preceding the mass.

A reception will follow in the home of the family.

Martha will be buried in El Paso, Texas on July 2, 2024, with a Holy Mass at 11:00 a.m. at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1050 N Clark Dr, El Paso, TX 79905, and burial at 12:30 p.m.at Evergreen Cemetery, 4301 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX 79905

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, trees or gifts, donations can be made to Broomfield Fish Food Bank, https://www.broomfieldfish.org/