Marcela Arbelaez

The woman were are here to remember is Marcela Arbelaez otherwise known as:

La Palomita (to papi), Jelly belly! (to cousins & family friends),"Iya" (to Gabriel when he was little), Strawberry (to mami; Monica was Chocolate & I was Vanilla)....was 35yrs old. She was born at Medical City Hospital in Dallas, Texas 3/14/81. She was a proud Airman and even prouder Marine. She resided in Jupiter, Florida.

She is the daughter of Alberto Arbelaez & Gloria Ines Serna, sister to Adriana, Monica and Leonardo Arbelaez, aunt to Gabriel Galvan, Tatiana Serna, and Sebastian Serna. And of course, momma to her baby Pekingese, Manjushri (aka Manju). She belongs to us (her family & friends), the ocean (where she renewed her energy), the stars (who captured and guarded her dreams, ambition and imagination), and most importantly to God to whom she returned in December of 2016.

These are the facts, but we all know simple facts cannot give justice to the memory of a person who has been loved by so many. So let's take a look at the other parts of Marcela who has left a gaping hole in are hearts with her absence. This is what we must remember to have peace; Marcela's heart and soul - a gem with many gleaming facets.

Marcela Arbelaez, the comeback queen, the not going down without a fight girl, the red tape remover, the breaker of barriers, the strongest most fierce woman warrior ever, my personal military human weapon, whom still never stopped being a girl with an innocence and heart to save the world and help those around her... was my youngest sister.

There isn't a person who knew Marcela that didn't see that she was a dreamer. Starting from my earliest memories, I remember her looking at the stars and clouds in the sky, the butterflies and ladybugs, and even the lint in the air. Her eyes never looked down, they were cast up to the heavens absorbing the world around here and gathering fuel for the many dreams and plans that would help her throughout her life.

Marcela was a girl with an easy and beautiful smile that would light up any room and cheer even the gloomiest of people. Nothing was an unsurmountable obstacle for her starting from the beginning at school when other kids would give up, she would find a work around. There was hardly any challenge she would turn down. She couldn't read without falling asleep, so she got others to read all the textbooks out loud for her so she could still learn and do the work. She wanted to go into the service for our country and maybe one day go to space, but some tried to dissuade her so she resolved to become one of the best at bootcamp, and she was quickly promoted on civil engineering projects for base camps to receive soldiers in Afghanistan. Even with her friends, if she saw someone down and out, she'd give the shirt off her back to help. And whoever dared to mess with those she loved, they'd better run because she'd be right at your door in a heartbeat to help you.

Her life was a roller coaster, but nothing ever scared her or stopped her from dusting herself off, picking up the pieces if she could, and trying again and again and again. It will never cease to amaze me when so many others would have given up at starting from scratch repeatedly, but not her. No new idea was too big, no detail was too small...she did what it took as the coaster chugged up to the next peak. And she would always end up back on top ready for the next part of the ride even if she knew that the spins and turns would be fast and scary. She wasn't worried, she loved the adventure, plus she was not on the roller coaster alone. She had Manjushri, the baby pekingese puppy she had raised and who loved her unconditionally. He never left her side....

Regardless, of where the rollercoaster of life tried to lead her and Manju, she was determined to bend that contraption and make sure that it would take pit stops at the beach, where she wanted to build her permanent home.

And that is what she did. Marcela was a Pisces and credited her zodiac sign for her love of all things water. She dreamed of being a mermaid by the sea. And she did it. First she learned how to scuba dive with the help of her brother in law, then she moved out to the beautiful east coast of Florida, and finally she bought her forever home just one mile from the shore. Going to the beach is what she loved above any other place or activity. She and Manju spent hours watching the waves and walking in the sand. It was the the closest thing to peace and eternity that she could find. She would dream, plan, and just contemplate the beauty and continuity of the waves rolling in. It calmed and centered her unlike anything else.

Though some did not know, this beautiful dreamer was also one of the most intelligent and hardest working woman ever. She was a whiz with lines and numbers. She received her high school diploma from School of Tomorrow, Lewisville, Texas and attended the University of Central Florida for Safety and Environmental Enforcement. She also completed studies at the Community College of the Air Force for Construction Technology. And apart from college or university studies, she also earned numerous certifications and received specialized training in multiple engineering fields.

She excelled while working with prominent and well known engineering firms including Progress Energy; Engineers, Designers, and Drafters of Florida; and with the United States Air Force. She loved anything that had to do with any branch of engineering because she was a visionary.

She was also proud of her studies of Entrepreneurship at Thomas Edison State University as she had recently opted for a career change and was in the process of starting her own LLC, Neptune REInvestors a mortgage and real estate investing firm.

But it is important to know that all that has been shared today, pales in comparison to the love that she had for our very large family, our parents, sisters, brother, cousins, FRAMILY (friends who become family), friends and even acquaintances. Marcela was the champion of underdogs. She would defend whomever against whatever, and always did her best to bring a smile out of those who seemed like they might never smile again. She loved to play simple fun games like cards, Uno, and dominoes, and she was a beast at video games as well. She always carried an innocence that we all felt the need to protect and cherish. I can't think of my little sister without thinking of the beautiful snow white cherub who won everyone's heart as a baby, the gorgeous girl who filled our hearts with love as she grew up, and the woman who shared all of her heart as an adult.

Now, she will ALWAYS live in OUR hearts, because God was on the water waiting for his little mermaid, the beach was calling, and she had to go..


Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch,
Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta Inc.
401 Maplewood Drive
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561)747-5311
www.furryfriendsdoption.org

*This is a no kill shelter where Manju was taken until we were able to recover him. They cleaned and cared for him free of charge. Anyone who knew Marcela knows of her love for and interdependence on her pets who she called her babies.


FJB
Friends of Jupiter Beach
P. O. Box 791
Jupiter, Florida 33468-0791
Executive Director, Karen Gray (561)748-8140
www.friendsofjupiterbeach.org

*She had an unquestionable passion for all things ocean and beach related. She lived in Jupiter specifically to be close to the beach and she often went there to clear her mind and reconnect with nature. She was an avid and skilled scuba diver.


If you would like to see the slide show played at the memorial please copy this link:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WaksIr6hABc