Maria "Piluca" Arbex died October 16, 2012 at HospiceCare in Louisville, CO. She was 86 years old. Maria was born August 27, 1927 in Santonia, Spain. She was the sixth child in a family of nine children. Maria was the adventurous one so the only child in her family to leave Spain. Eventually Maria moved to Epson, England with her husband, then on to United States in 1957 where they lived in Oklahoma, Iowa, and Vermont. Maria began hiking in Spain as a young girl. She spent her summers in the Pyrenees keeping up with her brothers on the hiking trails. When she divorced, Maria moved to Longmont in 1969 and joined the Longs Peak Group of the Colorado Mountain Club. She was an active member for many years, leading hikes and climbing to the top of both Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. Maria was a custom picture framer at Art Hardware and The Aspen Tree. Her customers were very loyal because of her eye for color, ability to coordinate mats and frames, and her warm personality. Maria painted western landscapes in her free time and regularly attended fine art shows around the Denver area. Traveling was in Maria's blood. She regularly took trips to places such as Glacier National Park, The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, The Tetons, Mesa Verde, and Santa Fe. Her favorite trip was a Colorado Mountain Club outing to New Zealand. Maria returned to Barcelona, Spain every few years to visit her extended family. Her last trip was in 2004. Her nephew, Daniel Garcia visited Maria in Longmont in 1999 and her brother, Juan, also came to Longmont. She is survived by two sisters, a brother, many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews in Spain. A memorial service will be held in the All Faiths Chapel at Beatrice Hover Assisted Living, 1380 Charles Drive, Longmont, CO at 10:00AM on November 2. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Colorado Mountain Club Foundation, 710 10th Street, #200, Golden, CO 80401.

Published Longmont Times-Call Oct 27, 2012