Obituary of Lucia Madril

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Lucia Madril, loving sister, mother and grandmother passed away at the age of 63. She was born on June 17, 1959 in Phoenix Arizona and was educated there. She attended Arizona State University and also Ottawa University where she received a B. A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Education, specializing in Academic Advising and Guidance Counseling.

Lucia had a passion for helping others, especially those in her Pascua Yaqui tribe and Guadalupe community, and was especially effective as a Spanish-English bilingual. Among her many volunteer activities were creating and completing building wall murals in Guadalupe and serving as a mentor for high-risk youth. Her early professional activities included serving as an interpreter and patient advocate at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Later she worked at Centro de Amistad as a Drug Counselor, and then at the C-Core project as a Pascua Tribe Outreach Advocate.

She was very artistic, an avid writer of beautiful poetry, deeply spiritual, and participated often in Sun Dances and healing sweat lodges. She had a quick wit and quick smile and was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need.

She was preceded in death by her mother Felipa Maldonado, her brother Jesse and her former husband Bill Duke. She will be sorely missed by her three children, Erica, Arminda, and Alisha and three sisters, Arminda, Carolina, and Concha, and her 10 grandchildren -- whom she adored.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, April 28, 2023, 8 am at Santa Lucia Yaqui Church, 5445 E. Calle San Angelo, Guadalupe, Az 85283. Place of final rest will be at Town of Guadalupe Cemetery.