Celebrating the Life of
Ulda (Hilda) Santana
February 4, 1953 — November 13, 2025
Obituary
Hilda was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 4, 1953. Her birth name was actually ULDA which if you were to pronounce it properly would sound like OOOLDAH. Since that was difficult for most people to pronounce she was always known as Hilda. Hilda was the sixth of seven children of Evelina and Pedro Santiago. After marrying she went by Ulda (Hilda) Santana. Hilda is survived by her sister, Anna; her two children, Michael and Christina, seven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was living in Queen Creek, AZ when she went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2025. According to her doctor, a massive cerebral hemorrhage took her life.
Hilda was a single mom that worked her entire adult life for AT&T (previously known as Pacific Bell). When she retired from AT&T, she developed many hobbies. She did knitting, crocheting, cup art (she transferred pictures of her family onto cups), she collected gemstones and turned them into jewelry by using silver or gold filled wire wrapping. She did some beautiful pieces however, after some time she grew tired of making jewelry and went on to do weaving, Lego art and many more things.
Anyone who knew Hilda knows she had a personal relationship with God that caused her to look forward to the day she would meet her Maker. Well, she is with Him now and I can only imagine her joy!
Again, all who knew her, know that she was quite a character with a dry sense of humor that would cause her to sometimes say outrageous things that we would all write off as “that’s Hilda!” One of Hilda’s favorite things to say whenever we would try to get her to do something to improve her quality of life was “well, ya gotta die of
something“! It is however most important to say that even though her humor and disposition was often blunt, she loved deeply and was devoted to her family. She was a mother/grandmother and mentor to many besides her immediate family.
She was loved deeply by her nieces and nephews because she was like a mother to them.
We will miss her very much, but we know she’s in a much better place no longer feeling the limitations she had in her earthly body!
Rest in peace, my dear sister! - Anna
Memories and Condolences
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I knew Hilda as “Mike and Christina’s mom” when we were teenagers at Calvary Chapel Escondido, until one summer when I needed a place to stay. Not knowing me very well, she took me into her home for the summer, and I got to know her as “Hilda”. She treated me like family, and I remember being surprised at how fun her sense of humor was! She made me feel cared for and often spoke of the Lord to me. ❤️ She was a very special lady. This must be such a hard time for Mike and Christina. I’m praying for you both.
Where do I begin my heart hurts because I will miss you Auntie! But my heart rejoices because you are with our Lord and Savior. Thank you for always making me feel as if I was your Son. Looking back I will always remember going to visit you at the house to trying the new latest and greatest thing that you were doing at the time and then always dragging you out to get dinner somewhere. I will miss our FaceTime calls and the way you just kept things straight forward. Thank you for Loving on my kids, they always had a great time! Once again Auntie Thank you for everything you did for me and family I will never forget it nor will I forget you! Rest Easy! Your Nephew/Son Robert Ledesma
I am so sorry for your loss! I always appreciated your mom and her straightforward way along with her faithfulness in my early years at Calvary Chapel Escondido / Cross Connection. It was a great example to me watching her let Mike go to Belize, and a few years later it helped me let my kids go to China. It is so nice to know that she is enjoying Jesus in her perfected body with full energy. Jeanne Richardson
A message for my mother: what I remember. There are so many things I remember about you. Of course, I would not be who I am today if not for you, but most importantly, I would not be saved if not for you. If you had chosen not to take us to the church that Aunt Debbie pointed out when we moved to Escondido, I don't know who or where I would be today. Your willingness to humble yourself and do so many things for us has helped me become who I am today. There are so many things I could list that I remember, but here are only a few that I'm sure most people don't know or remember. I remember seeing you walking up and down the driveway in Perris, and then I would run out there just to be with you. We would have to walk holding our index finger and thumb together as we walked, and you would put your headphones on me so I could listen to your walking tapes to keep me interested. I remember the few times when I would go with you to your work at Pac Bell. You would always buy me something from the "gedunk", and because you worked the night shift, we would go outside on your break to watch the fireworks over Disneyland. I remember how I couldn't go to sleep at night and you made me a cassette tape that I could listen to at night that would help me sleep. I also remember intentionally staying up late at night just waiting for you to come home, and when I would hear you enter the house, I would close my eyes. You would always come into the room and kiss both Christy and I on the forehead, and then I could go to sleep. I remember once when you sat Christy and I down to talk with us about the Bible, even though we really weren't Christians back then. You used donuts to entice us to listen to you, and music playing in the background. You gave us each a Bible telling us that we should read it and that it was important. I remember only really caring about the donuts, but I did read the whole book of Proverbs afterwards and probably went on to read Revelations too. I remember how you took care of me when I was going through my issues with my gall bladder. I remember collapsing on your bedroom floor because I couldn't stand the pain, and you were by my side when I went under and were there as soon as you could when I awoke. I remember when I was in Belize and I had a hard time because good friends of mine left, and I called you on the phone, just to talk. I had never called because it was so expensive, but you told me not to worry about it, that you would take care of the cost, and we talked a few more times after that (they were expensive phone calls!). I remember how you waited for me when I would stay at church after services, never complaining that it was late and that we needed to go home. I keep reminding myself of that patience as I wait for my own kids as they hang out with friends after church too. I remember how you told me that you trusted God to take care of me as I went all over the world and walked all over the place on my own. I remember you writing me notes for my birthdays and Christmas as I was older and married with kids. You told me you were proud of me and if you had any advice, it was to always pray for my wife and kids and to enjoy the childhood of my kids as those moments of missed hugs and kisses can't be saved for later, you can only have them now. As I've remembered, I've had to stop from crying several times. Now Paul said in Romans 8:18 that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." While I know that's true and you are certainly happy to be free of so many of the cares, worries, and pains that you've felt on earth, I firmly believe that additionally, the greatest joys of this present time are not worthy to be compared either. When I think of that and know that you are happier now with Jesus than you have ever been with anything on this earth, it stops my tears and I smile. I love you Mother. Thank you for everything. -Michael
My Mom and I (Michael) (Sorry the music ends abruptly!)
Pictures (sorry the music ends abruptly!)
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