Obituary Maria Viola Dominguez January 1, 2016

Maria Viola Dominguez 

(September 21, 1923 ~ December 20, 2015)

Noted soprano soloist, dedicated social worker and beloved matriarch to an extended family, Maria Viola Dominguez (professionally known as Maria Villafañe) passed on Sunday morning, December 20, 2015, in Altadena, California. She was 92. Surrounded by her children and grandchildren, and guarded by her beloved, loyal dog “Tito,” Maria Viola died peacefully in her home with its gardens and flowers that she loved so much. The daughter of Santa Paula’s pioneering Mexican-born Methodist pastor, the late Reverend Emilio N. Hernandez and his wife, the late Fausta Camargo, Maria was born in Long Beach, California on September 21, 1923. Maria Viola or “Violet,” grew up along with her late brothers, Hubert Camargo, and Oscar and Mitchell Hernandez, in a family dedicated to Christian spirituality, serving their communities and helping others. Maria’s parents encouraged the musical and artistic development of children in every church and mission they led, and this included their own children. Along with her brothers, Maria served God through music from early childhood. Whether out in the fields of the Santa Clara River Valley as a three year old singing hymns for agricultural workers, or singing solos in the great cathedrals of Europe as an adult, Maria’s crystalline and angelic voice captured the hearts and elevated the spirits of all who heard her sing. Her father made sure she received operatic voice training from some of the world’s best teachers and vocal coaches, including famed Metropolitan Opera bass Andrés de Segurola, Russian-born soprano Sonia Verbitsky, and bel canto singer and teacher Gertrude Darsie. Soon after World War II ended, Maria met the love of her life Roberto A. Domínguez Díaz, a handsome Puerto Rican-born U.S. Army veteran whose kindness, helpfulness, charm and exquisite manners are still fondly remembered. Their wedding in Santa Paula, California in 1946 began a felicitous 59-year marriage that produced three children, Walter, Yvonne and Yolanda, and seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Maria’s beloved Robert passed in 2005. With a commanding presence and powerful voice that was suited to grand opera, Maria weighed pursuing that career, but soon she felt her destiny was with her family, serving the community and praising God through her exceptional voice. From the 1940s through the 1980s, Maria gave operatic recitals to benefit churches, and arts and culture societies in Pasadena and throughout the Los Angeles region. She was the featured soprano in Handel’s “The Messiah” in annual performances by El Coro Latino in Los Angeles, including at the Music Center. She continued to sing as a soloist in choirs until 2012. She loved teaching voice to numerous young people in schools and individually. Maria also had a long career as a social worker in the Pasadena office of the California State Department of Rehabilitation. With her characteristic resoluteness and refusal to take “no” as an answer, Maria succeeded in helping countless firefighters, police officers and others get the help they needed to get back on their feet after devastating injuries and traumas. Despite demands of work, singing and family, Maria also made time to complete studies in Psychology and Music and receive a Bachelor’s Degree in 1980 from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. Maria was highlighted in the acclaimed 2014 feature documentary, “Weaving the Past: Journey of Discovery,” that detailed the epic journey to the U.S. of her Mexican-born parents, and a generation of Mexican immigrants and revolutionaries over one hundred years ago. Maria is survived by her son, Walter Robert Dominguez and her daughter-in-law Shelley Morrison-Dominguez of Los Angeles, daughter Yvonne Marie Green of Monrovia, and Yolanda Patricia McCreary and son-in-law John C. McCreary of Altadena; grandchildren Heather Gibson, Margaux Viera (and her husband Ricardo Viera), Cory Green (and his wife Adriana Green), Lacy Green, and Jenna Green, Robert McCreary and Miranda (Missy) McCreary. A funeral and burial will be held on Tuesday, January 5 at 9am at Church of the Hills in Forest Lawn ~ Hollywood Hills cemetery in Los Angeles. The service will be officiated by Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, elder of the United Methodist Church. The funeral director is Robert Karlin of Los Angeles Funeral Service, Inc., Los Angeles. Maria Viola was a beautiful and inspirational woman who will be remembered and greatly missed by all her extended family, colleagues, friends and students. She is singing with the angels.