Celebrating the Life of Margarita Castilleja Piña

January 2, 1944 – September 8, 2026

With deeply grateful hearts for the time we shared, the family of Margarita “Maggie” Castilleja Piña announces her passing on September 8, 2026 at the age of 82, while peacefully asleep in the house she lived in for more than six decades. She left this world surrounded by the love of her family, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, laughter, and grace.

Born in Edinburg, Texas on January 2, 1944, Maggie brought light into the world from the beginning. She grew up to be a person of immense warmth, always ready with a listening ear, a comforting word, or a helping hand. She personified the act of giving to others, most notably taking great care for her brother Salvador and all those around her.

To know Maggie was to know the true positive serving of others. She poured her heart into everything she did, whether it was through her dedicated work as a secretary for 34 years at Sunnyside School District, or her passion for tending to her vibrant flower garden. Her cooking feasts for family and friends, especially her tortillas, will always be remembered. Her kitchen was a place to gather, full of warmth, conversation and laughter. Maggie taught us all how to notice the beauty in the everyday, and her infectious laugh will echo in our hearts forever. She also loved to enjoy overnight stays at elegant casinos, and claimed she was always winning, which she probably was.

More than anything, Maggie loved her family fiercely. She was the absolute heart of our home, the center of us all.

She married her first husband Bernardo F. Piña in 1962, who passed away in 1992 after building a beautiful family with three daughters — Juanita R. Piña, Anita M. Piña, and Monica A. Piña.

Maggie, after years mourning Bernardo, married Romeo J. Ybarra and they spent 26 loving years before Romeo passed away in March of 2026.

She was the most patient and loving mother to surviving daughters Juanita (Michael), Anita (Paula), and Monica (and Lori (Rice) Gamus, who grew up with the family, and Maggie considered her a daughter), and the proudest, most playful grandma to Erica (Whitney), Bernardo “BJ” (Briggitte), Danan (Joni), Cameron, and great-grandma to Layla, Meliaa, Bella, Jaymin, and Brooklyn.

Maggie joins in eternity her husbands Bernardo and Romeo, her parents Rafael and Alice Castilleja, brother Walt Castilleja and sister Dora Gutierrez, as well as many brother- and sister-in-laws.

Maggie is survived by her brothers Ralph Castilleja, Art Castilleja, Salvador Castilleja and her best friend and sister-in-law Mary Castilleja, as well as many brothers- and sisters-laws.

We especially appreciate the love and caring that her nephew Lino Gutierrez offered in the past years.

We will gather to remember and celebrate the love Maggie gave so freely. Family and friends are invited to a service on Monday, September 14 with visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. and funeral service from 11 a.m. to noon at Valley Hills Funeral Home, located at 531 S 16th St., Sunnyside, Washington.

In memory of Maggie’s generous soul and her giving spirit, we ask that you perform an unexpected act of kindness today, or view a flower that is as beautiful as Maggie was for us. You can also send flowers by contacting a florist and have them send them to Valley Hills Funeral Home in Sunnyside. We ask when you think of Maggie, light a candle in her memory.