Mike Parra Martinez
1960 - 2021

In the 61 years of life, Uncle Mike has taught and shared with us so many things, such as, he could never walk into any room without leaving a messy trail. He hoarded everything from mail to cars and everything in-between.

More than anything, Money Mike taught us how to bet on a winning horse and how to hook, line and sink a fish. He taught us that worn, tired, and scarred hands showed years of sacrifice and hard work.

He shared many stories (the best ones over and over). He shared his home and his love for food and cooking-especially his signature chicken adobo and rice.

Uncle Mike was so many different things to many of us besides a dad, son, uncle, and brother. Sometimes he was the spine of a cactus that got lodged in your thumb, but mostly, he was the laughter that lingered in the air, the dirty jokes you were never supposed to hear, the cold bud light on a hot summer day, the classic 61 El Camino driving down the street.

And although he has placed his final horse race bet, he was and will always be his daughters superfecta.

So with this I will say,
"Death takes the body. God takes the soul.
Our minds hold the memories.
Our hearts keep the love.
Our faith lets us know we will meet again."