Magda Iris Gutierrez

Our sweet beloved Magda left us December 13th. She passed away surrounded by her loving daughters Juliana and Elizabeth Gutierrez. She fought a long hard battle with Covid. She joins her loving husband Plinio Gutierrez who was recently called away from us just two weeks ago. They were married December 20, 1982. Their love was so strong we felt that Plinio couldn’t bear spending his anniversary without his loving wife and called her home early. They almost made it to 38 loving years as a married couple.

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Magda was born on June 20, 1948, to Victor Segundo Cordova and Angelica Piedad Espinoza, she was the fourth of six children. As an infant she was very sickly, quiet and calm. This made everyone think she wouldn’t make it passed her first year. She defied those odds and grew into a caring young lady. She excelled in school and won a full ride scholarship to a boarding school in Lima. She went on to study at La Universidad de San Marcos and got her bachelors in Nursing.

She was always so family oriented. And as the last of her siblings to have kids she would spoil her nieces and nephews. She would spoil her mom and take her on trips. She was very involved in her hometown of San Mateo and would visit often. In one of those weekends she reconnected with someone she knew from childhood. Her future husband Plinio, their romance was a whirlwind they eloped in secret. Family opposed at first of their quick union but their families saw their love and knew it was meant to last.

At this time Plinio was traveling and working from the US. The first couple years of marriage he would work months at a time abroad and then come back to Peru. He wanted his wife with him, and Magda made the very hard decision in having to leave all her loved ones behind and move to this new country. She moved to the US in 1984. She had a hard time adjusting since she missed her family and most importantly her mother. All that pain lessened when her beloved daughter Juliana was born in 1987. Shortly a year later 1988 her youngest Elizabeth was born completing their foursome.

In California as her husband worked as a ranch hand, she worked in town cleaning houses and taking care of her daughters. Wherever she went she made sure her daughters came first and were well taken care of. After a several years the farm where Plinio worked and they lived was sold. They moved to Sonoma to start a food truck business with Plinio’s brother. After a hard year they moved to Utah for a fresh start with the help of family friends Cecilia and Alvaro Ramirez.

In Utah, Magda went into healthcare again working as a CNA. She enjoyed helping patients throughout the years. Her patients loved her sweet, kind and loving nature. Her patients would often request her by name and would even want her to switch companies so that she could continue to help them.

She was very proud of her Peruvian heritage. And was a die-hard Peruvian soccer fan. She enjoyed cooking, journaling, and traveling. She was active Seventh Day Adventist member. She was always so healthy and energetic.

She loved to travel with her family. Four years ago she accomplished a lifelong dream of traveling to Spain. And two years ago she accomplished another lifelong dream of visiting one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu.

Magda is survived by her loving daughters Juliana and Elizabeth Gutierrez. Her siblings Rito Cordova, Nola Cordova Caceda, Astrid Cordova (brother in law: Jose) and Raul Cordova (sister in law: Olga). Her many brothers and sister in laws, nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Magda is precedented in death by her parents, Victor and Angelica Cordova, her brother in law Jorge Caceda and her brother Arcadio Cordova. And her loving husband Plinio Al Gutierrez.

She was an amazing mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend always so selfless, caring, loving, sassy, funny, and had the biggest heart. She will forever be remembered and missed.