Marie Theresa Avila
Dec. 4, 1928-Sept. 19, 2025
Pleasanton, California

Marie Teresa Avila, of Pleasanton CA., 96, passed away on September 19, 2025. Born to Albino and Teresa Campos on December 4, 1928, in Oakland California, the youngest of nine children. As an infant she lived above her father’s grocery store on 23rd Avenue in Oakland. The neighborhood was largely made up of Portuguese people. The neighborhood had the nickname of “Jingle Town”. A name it earned due to the many workers at a large cotton mill who were paid in coins and would jingle the coins in their pockets on payday in the hopes of attracting a lady. As a small child her father sold his interest in the grocery store and moved the family to Atwater CA. where they worked a 40-acre family farm. This was a life her parents new well from their youth on the island of Maderia. It also got her 6 older brothers off the streets of Oakland where her father was sure they would find trouble. When World War Two began all of her brothers enlisted in the military partly to serve their country but largely to escape the endless work on the farm. With the free labor source gone the farm was sold and the remaining family members moved to San Leandro. Marie attended and graduated from San Leandro High School in 1947. After graduation and secretarial training, she was able to find employment at Remar Bakery in Oakland where she met the love of her life Joseph Avila. They were married on July 15, 1950. In 1951 Joseph enlisted in the Air Force and they were stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas for the next four years. While in Kansas they welcomed two sons, Michael in 1953 and Mark in 1955. Upon their separation from the Air Force the family moved into a small cottage behind her oldest brother Louie Campos’ home in Oakland. Once enough resources were gathered, they purchased their first home in the Washington Manor District of San Leandro. In 1980, Joe and Marie moved to a 5-acre ranchette in Livermore where Marie was well known for adopting any stray critter that came her way. As the strain of 5-acres became too much they moved to a more manageable home in Pleasanton. When Mike & Mark reached school age, she took employment first at Converters Ink in Berkeley and then had a long run working for Sears in Hayward. As children Mark and I were blessed to have her serve as our Cub Scout Den Mother and baseball Team Mom on many occasions. She was generous with delivering us to many of our activities whether it was fishing at Lake Chabot, golf lessons, the movie theatre or a baseball game. As youngsters she also served as our personal ski instructor. She had many interests of her own. As a young woman she took part in Synchronized Swimming later turning into an avid and accomplished tennis player, took classes to learn Spanish and became an accomplished pencil artist and scrapbooker. She was an avid Oakland sports fan. Cheering on the Warriors, A’s and most especially the Raiders. In her Hope Chest we found in addition to her wedding dress, personalized autographs of Ken Stabler and Fred Biletnikoff along with the black sock old time Raider fans used to wave. Marie is most famous for being the glue that brought the Campos and Avila families together each Christmas morning for over 40 years. She would toil for weeks preparing the traditional Portuguese dish Vin e alho, a wine and garlic spiced pork dish, which had to be washed down with plenty of Gin Fizzes. As time passed the gatherings grew to 60 to 80 people. She had many loves in her life: Her husband Joseph of 72 years, who she lost in 2023, family and friends, any kind of critter in need, helping her daughter in laws when they began their families, learning new things, helping any family members in difficult times and being the glue as the last surviving member of the Campos family. She is survived by her son Michael Avila and daughter-in-law Ginger Avila, her son Mark Avila, grandchildren Kerry, David and Anthony as well as five great grandchildren Easton, Kaylin, Reece, Rowan and Ryan.