Maria Luisa Collins

Maria Luisa Montez Collins, known to many as “Marie,” departed this earthly life on Friday, March 6, 2026, at the age of 64. Born on December 19, 1961, to Guadalupe and Elvira Montez in Hidalgo, Texas, she was raised in the San Juan and McAllen area of the Rio Grande Valley. There, in a close-knit community near the border of Mexico, she was surrounded by family and loved ones who remained an important part of her life.

Marie later moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she married and gave birth to her only daughter, Iris. She worked at the Lake Charles Civic Center for more than thirty years before retiring in 2010. She found quiet joy in listening to music, watching Kobe Bryant play basketball, enjoying episodes of In the Heat of the Night, and relaxing on her porch. A longtime member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, she attended faithfully until her health no longer allowed.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Janie Montez. She is survived by her daughter, Iris Marie Collins; sisters Sylvia (Reynaldo) De La Cerda and Anna Montez; grandchildren Simone Alonni Collins and Ny’la Mae Zackery; and great-grandchild Zae’Lei LoLani Zackery. She also leaves behind the Collins family, along with many nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends who will cherish her memory.