Maria was born in 1973 in Los Angeles, California. The family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1977, where she grew up into adulthood. She graduated from Miles MacDonnell Collegiate High School.

She joined the U.S. Armed Forces in the mid-1990s. She was stationed in Pensacola, Florida, and then Camp Zama, Japan (near Yokohama). Besides basic training, she also completed training to be a Combat Documentation Production Specialist.

Upon an honorable discharge, she returned to Canada, and used her G.I. benefits to enroll in University. She earned a BA in Geography at the University of Winnipeg, and earned a Marketing Certificate there as well. Afterwards, she earned an advanced post-grad diploma in Geographical Information Systems at Red River College.

She moved to Calgary, Alberta, in 2012, and began working for Clean Harbours, Inc. as a Geospatial Analyst. She also did volunteer work, at Centre Street Church for the Youth Ministries, and at Roots2Stem, in which she worked with young adults as a professional representative. She was an excellent influence, not only on youth, but on other people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

She also joined Twin River Toastmasters club and earned "Competent Toastmaster" designation.

She met her life-partner, Mark Piche, in 2015; Mark describes her as "Having brought sunshine to my life. She understood me, healed my soul, and made my life worthwhile again."

In September 2022, Maria started showing symptoms of what would be eventually diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Despite that, she continued to work in retail sales and clerical duties. In this and other adversaries she faced of her life, she was still a go-getter and had refused to give up, until it was very apparent that she had to.

Maria was predeceased by her father Albert; and is survived by her mother, Guadalupe; and younger brother, Eric; and sponsored adopted sister, Gandhi Alfaro.

She will be remembered for her kindness, and her integrity was second to none. She leaves a great group of friends that were dear to her. In her last days, they had come from far and near, to show their love for her.