Obituary: Aida S. Canchola, 87, of Guilford

Obituary courtesy of Guilford Funeral Home:

On Monday, December 25, 2023 Aida S. Canchola, 87, of Guilford, CT passed away peacefully at CT Hospice, Branford with her children at her bedside. Aida was an amazing wife, mother, Abuelita (Ata), sister, friend, artist and cook. She was the kindest, most thoughtful woman. Aida was born in Colima, Mexico on March 28, 1936 and was raised in Mexico City, DF by her parents Rafael Munoz and Maria Rosario (Gonzalez) Vazquez. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology at Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico and was the Director of her microbiology lab at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico when she met her husband, Dr. Jose G. Canchola.

After marriage, she moved to the United States and ultimately settled down in Rockville, MD. She devoted her life to raising her children Julia Canchola of Guilford, CT, Angela (and John) Philbin, of Guilford, CT, Isabel (and Daniel) Zacharias of Needham, MA, Raphael (and Kristin) Canchola of Gaithersburg, MD, and Rebecca Canchola of Guilford, CT. She touched the lives of countless people with her acts of kindness and friendly nature. She had a smile that could light up any room and was always there if anybody needed anything.

She will forever be remembered as Ata by her 9 grandchildren: Jackson, Cole, Sofia, Sylvia, Joseph, Shay, Riley, Nico, and Aisling. She will be missed by her sister Maria Cristina.

She is reunited in heaven with her son Joseph, her husband Jose, her sister Silvia, her mother Rosario and her father Rafael.

Aida was happiest when spending time with her children and grandchildren. Every summer she looked forward to vacationing on Cape Cod, MA with her entire family. She was an accomplished artist and was selected to host several art shows in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She enjoyed taking art classes at local colleges, universities, and community centers, often bringing homemade Mexican meals to feed the class. She loved listening to music, doing puzzles and volunteering. She will be dearly missed by all.

A private service will be held Saturday, January 13 at 11 am at Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St, Guilford, CT. Burial services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:

-The Connecticut Hospice 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, CT 06405 (203-315-7301) www.hospice.com

-The Evergreen Program at Boston University Center for Professional Education 1010 Commonwealth Ave., 1st Floor, Boston, MA 02215 (617-353-4497) www.cpe.bu.edu

-Brookline Senior Center 93 Winchester St, Brookline,MA 02446 (617-730-2770) www.brooklineseniorcenter.org