Our beloved Maite Pilar Garcia-Arone passed on June 5th, 2024, at age 64. She was surrounded by loved ones. Her life was cut tragically short by cancer, which she heroically fought for three years. She leaves a void that will never be filled for those who knew and loved her.

Maite lived an incredibly fulfilling life, one that many only dream of. Her fantastic spirit touched so many throughout her life. She always put others first and was relentlessly willing to help those in need. She was the purest form of “love” one could imagine. Her laugh and smile could brighten the darkest of days. An amazing wife and partner, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, friend, and lover of animals, her abundance of love radiated. On top of that, she was an incredibly gifted musician, composer, vocalist, artist, and author. She had it all: brains, beauty, talent, and ambition.

Maite was born in Gardena, California, and raised with her four brothers by her parents, first-generation immigrants from Chile. At 19 years old, Maite married and started a family immediately. In the mid-1980s, they moved their growing family to the Central Coast of California and settled in Santa Maria, CA. While lovingly raising her three beautiful children, she stayed up pulling “all-nighters” to earn her Bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly. She then began a career as a Victim Advocate in the County of Santa Barbara’s Victim Witness Program. She later moved to the Truancy Program, which she would eventually run. Also, during this time, she somehow found time to author the book “The Sisterhood of Bunco.”

Throughout this period, Maite also began to pursue and realize her lifelong dream of performing music. She joined the Santa Maria Symphony Master Chorale and enjoyed performing from the repertoire of Classical Masterpieces. Maite was also quickly recruited by her co-workers in the DA’s office to join their cover band, “Class Action.” She learned the ropes, gigging throughout the Central Coast. She eventually found her way as the lead vocalist to the salsa band, “Salsón,” where she would meet her second husband and musical partner. Salsón played to packed houses over the next few years. She instantly became known and respected by top musicians for her musicality. Her Clave chops were legendary. She then co-wrote, co-produced, and sang on two albums under the band “Qué Cosa.” A true artist, her lyrics were personal and revealing; she never shied away from showing her vulnerability. Her God-given talent for writing catchy melodies was a true gift. Fortunately for us, the voice and spirit of her beautiful soul are forever captured on those recordings for all to continue enjoying.

Maite was an artist with a keen eye for design. If you were lucky enough to visit one of her homes, you would have been immediately struck by her unique design style. She was a masterful mosaic artist, creating unique works from smashed porcelain and other found objects.

The birth of her first grandchild in 2009 represented a new chapter and possibly the most important one to her, becoming Grandma Maite. She loved her grandbabies more than life itself. In 2017, when she learned her grandbabies ’ parents were planning to move to Carmel, Indiana, it was only a matter of days before the house was on the market and she was packing. Never regretting the decision, she enjoyed her five grandbabies until the end.

After relocating to Carmel, Indiana, Maite found fulfillment working at the Trinity Free Clinic. She immediately made a huge impact and made so many memorable and meaningful connections with employees and patients. Moving to the Midwest also nurtured another love of Maite’s: gardening. She would spend hours in the garden encouraging and nurturing her seedlings, even singing to them. Her face would light up when a new blossom would appear.

She is preceded in death by her Father, Fernando, and Mother, Cecilia. Maite is survived by her husband, Larry Arone, her first husband, Tom Franck, and her three children, Leila, Larissa, and Ethan; her daughter-in-law, Chelsea; her son-in-law, Fernando and her five grandchildren, Alice, Mena, Logan, Charlotte, and Lana; her brothers, Rodrigo, Alvaro, Gonzalo, and Jaime; and her life’s latest love, her rescue dog Bruno.

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