Melida Elizabeth Rapoza

Born and raised in San Francisco, Melida Elizabeth Rapoza was always loyal to her

beloved City. The only daughter of Jose Ma Eva and Melida Perez, she married

Richard and had her first born, Cassandra, at Children's Hospital on Oak St... the

very same hospital where she came to this world at barely 3 lbs.

After a family decision to seek better fortunes and move to her parent's homeland,

the new family found themselves in Nicaragua, with a large extended family, a new

culture and a different way of life, to which they adapted seamlessly. Seven years

later, their son Richard was born. A life of struggles, adventures and rewards,

earthquakes and wars continued, with the family's eventual return to the Bay Area

in the late 1970s. Cassandra's marriage to Roberto Alfaro quickly made Melida a

grandmother, and she embraced the joyous role by helping raise her beloved

grandchildren Michelle, Jessica and Robert Alfaro. A 9 month old Michelle managed

to replace abuelita with "Ita", setting her new family name forever.

In her latter years, Ita was the cornerstone of the family, imparting love in her own

special way to her daughter Cassandra, her son Richard and husband Larry

Meacham, and by now, her grandchildren, now including Ashley Alfaro, and great

grandchildren Joseph Billings , Ariana Billings, Jacob Billings, Ryan Gonzalez, Vincent

and Elijah Alfaro.

Ita was an example of endurance and hope. She lives forever in our hearts and in

the precious memories each one of us built over the years we shared our lives with her.

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