Etelvina Strickland Obituary (1942 - 2024)

Etelvina Eufemia Vasquez Strickland, 81, passed away peacefully on March 26th, 2024, at Carrington Court Memory Care Center in South Jordan, Utah. She was born in Las Tablas, Panama, on October 3rd, 1942, to Digna Maria Gutierrez and Manuel Vasquez. One of four children, she grew up running barefoot through the jungles of Panama and loved telling her family about the adventures she had with her younger sister, Maria. She loved going to the movies and often told a story about the MGM lion looking so real on the movie screen that she and Maria jumped out of their seats and ran out of the theater in fear for their lives. She loved her Panama heritage and spoke of her years there with great affection. She was very proud of a furniture-making business she owned in her early adulthood. She could always recognize the type of wood in a quality piece of furniture and made sure to point it out. In 1974 she married Johnnie “Jack” Strickland and immigrated with him and two of her children to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she made many friends and participated in many activities. She was proud to receive her US citizenship in 1987, and although she only had an elementary school education, she spoke near-perfect English. Jack passed away in 2008. She lived in Fayetteville until 2018 and then relocated to Utah to be closer to her son, Juan. Etelvina was happy, witty, and smart. She enjoyed music and dancing and played the lottery every chance she could get. She insisted on regularly visiting any casino within a 100-mile radius, as she was certain that she would “hit the big one” at any moment and insisted it would happen because her hands were itching. She also loved to travel and took numerous cruises with her daughter Angelica. She enjoyed many trips with her son Juan to Yellowstone, Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. She drove across the country with Juan and was able to visit many sites along the way. She also made many trips to Panama to visit her friends and family there. Her greatest happiness came from being a mother and grandmother. She loved her children and grandchildren deeply and often spoke of them with affection – they were her pride and joy and her most proud accomplishment. Etelvina was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Armando Vasquez and Manuel Vasquez. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Jack. She is survived by her sister, Maria. She leaves behind her four children: Angelica (Chris), Leonardo (Libia), Juan (Emily), and Gladys (Pedro). She is also survived by her 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Her legacy will live on through all of them. Etelvina’s family would like to express our deep-felt appreciation for Carrington Court Memory Care and Active Hospice for the excellent care they provided to our mother during these last few months. A celebration of Etelvina’s life will be held at a later date.