Margaret Stella Guzman

Margaret Stella Guzman (90), known affectionately as "Dema" by her granddaughters, was born Margarita Estela Tafoya on March 18, 1929 in Los Angeles, California. Margaret passed away August 31, 2019 at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging of complications from Parkinson's Disease. Margaret's early years were spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s and was a graduate of Roosevelt High School and Los Angeles City College. A member of the "greatest generation", she lived through the depression and World War II. She was married for 32 years to Professor Ralph Guzman of U.C. Santa Cruz. While in Santa Cruz, Margaret worked as an ESL Aid and at the Santa Cruz Women's Health Center. In her later years in Los Angeles she worked at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital as a Liaison and Family Liaison translator in the ER. She and her companion of many years, Nash Tahara, lived interchangeably between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

Margaret's life was characterized by her biting sense of humor and fun. She had a wonderful singing voice, threw a great party, and was always welcoming, generous, and vivacious. She was a friend and mentor to many undergraduates at U.C. Santa Cruz and was a staunch child advocate while working at Children's Hospital. She was a naturally gifted artist and an animal advocate. Margaret was a strong and dedicated parent who was always a source of strength for her daughter Christine. Her most beloved role in life was that of grandmother to Emily and Julia Sufrin. She is survived by her daughter Christine, son-in-law Ron, and granddaughters Emily and Julia. She will be greatly missed by many close cousins and dear family friends. May her memory be for a blessing.

Memorial tributes on Margaret's behalf can be made to Smile Train (https://www.smiletrain.org/) or to any animal advocacy organization of your choice.