Veronica Victoria Elizabeth Cortez

Verónica Victoria Elizabeth Cortez Sandoval was truly a beautiful social butterfly with the heart of a fighter. She was everything to those who knew and loved her. She proudly carried the titles of wife, to her high school sweetheart of 18 years, Julio Cesar Cortez, mother, to her 5 beautiful children, Victoria Lisette, Julio Cesar, Victor Luiz, Jenavicia Cecilia and Cruz Sebastian, daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, niece, aunt, and trusted friend. To know Verónica was to love her and to know you were deeply loved by her. 

Throughout her life, Verónica was kind, compassionate and always honored to be in service to those around her. As the proud spouse of a U.S. Army soldier, Verónica felt led to volunteer at Family Readiness Groups in support of her husband and his unit, and even become a member of the Bad News Babes softball team. One of Verónica’s greatest accomplishments in this organization was when she received an award from the President of The United States in recognition of her service to our great nation.  Some of Verónica's most favorite memories were alongside her husband, admiring the Northern Lights while stationed in Alaska, or even hiking the trails in Alaska and Washington while she and her family were stationed there. Of all her proudest and most memorable moments, however, Verónica held each day she brought into the world another beautiful child as her most precious memory. 

When Verónica could not be found at the FRG meeting, or exploring her duty station with her family, she loved to play video games, playing loteria and conquian, or even Pokémon Go. She was always enjoying life and making new friends everywhere she and her family went. 

Upon becoming a wife at the age of 16 and a young mother, Verónica made the brave decision to leave her education to devote herself to her children and her loving husband. She was an extremely hard-working and driven woman. At the age of 28, Verónica proudly returned to her studies and graduated high school with her diploma. 

In addition to her successes in her education, Verónica was proud of her Catholic faith; last year she was able to complete her first Communion and Confirmation. Her faith and enduring love for her family, friends and community are only a few of the incredible things about Verónica that will be missed. 

Verónica’s fighting spirit was never in vain. When she received news from doctors that put her loving spirit on a timeline, she pushed past every obstacle and outdid every one of her doctors’ predictions with an, “I’ll go when I want to” attitude that Veronica was so famous for having; in the words of her adoring husband, “she loved to fight - she fought to win!” To Verónica, death was a sweeter victory than giving up the fight. 

Verónica is survived by her husband, Julio Cesar Cortez; her children: Victoria Lisette, Julio Cesar, Victor Luiz, Jenavicia Cecilia and Cruz Sebastian; her parents: Hector Osvaldo Sandoval and Yvonne Elizabeth Benavides; her siblings: Hector Jr. Sandoval, Hector Osvaldo Sandoval Benavides, Eliazar Emmanuel Sandoval Benavides, Sergio Osvaldo Sandoval Benavides, Diego Osvaldo Sandoval, Angel Sandoval, Osvaldo Sandoval, Asael Osvaldo Sandoval, Javier Alberto Mendoza Benavides, Reyna Kamelia Sanmiguel Benavides, Sarita Nuhemy Sandoval, Andrea Patricia Sandoval and Jazmĩn Luna Sandoval; nieces: Leah, Lucia and Leila; and nephews: Israel, Daniel, Enrique, Elijah, Mateo, Sebastian, and Steven.

She is preceded in death by her firstborn daughter, Victoria Lisette Cortez; and her grandmother, Marĩa Andrea Sandoval Hernandez.