On Dec. 25, 2023, Aida S. Canchola, 87, of Guilford, passed away peacefully at CT Hospice, Branford, with her children at her bedside. Aida was an amazing wife, mother, Abuelita “Ata,” sister, friend, artist and cook. She was the kindest, most thoughtful woman. Aida was born in Colima, Mexico, on March 28, 1936, and was raised in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, by her parents, Rafael Munoz and Maria Rosario (Gonzalez) Vazquez.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology at Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico and was the director of her microbiology lab at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico when she met her husband, Dr. Jose G. Canchola. After marriage, she moved to the United States and ultimately settled down in Rockville, Maryland. She devoted her life to raising her children: Julia Canchola of Guilford, Angela (and John) Philbin of Guilford, Isabel (and Daniel) Zacharias of Needham, Massachusetts, Raphael (and Kristin) Canchola of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Rebecca Canchola of Guilford. She touched the lives of countless people with her acts of kindness and friendly nature. She had a smile that could light up any room and was always there if anybody needed anything.

She will forever be remembered as Ata by her nine grandchildren: Jackson, Cole, Sofia, Sylvia, Joseph, Shay, Riley, Nico, and Aisling. She will be missed by her sister Maria Cristina. She is reunited in Heaven with her son Joseph, her husband Jose, her sister Silvia, her mother Rosario, and her father Rafael.

Aida was happiest when spending time with her children and grandchildren. Every summer, she looked forward to vacationing on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her entire family. She was an accomplished artist and was selected to host several art shows in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She enjoyed taking art classes at local colleges, universities, and community centers, often bringing homemade Mexican meals to feed the class. She loved listening to music, doing puzzles, and volunteering. She will be dearly missed by all.

A private service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. Burial services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Connecticut Hospice 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405 (203-315-7301) www.hospice.com; The Evergreen Program at Boston University Center for Professional Education 1010 Commonwealth Ave., 1st Floor, Boston, MA 02215 (617-353-4497) www.cpe.bu.edu or Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street, Brookline, MA 02446 (617-730-2770) www.brooklineseniorcenter.org. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.