Artemisa Mauck

Jan. 20, 1955 - Aug. 17, 2023

It is with a heavy sadness that our family shares the news of my mother’s passing. Artemisa Mauck (nee Benevidez) was born in San Diego to her mother, Encarnacion. Rather than recap her early and formative years, I would rather tell you about the unique, strong, and intelligent woman she grew to be. My mother and father met in the summer of 1981 in San Diego at Seaport Village. While mom enjoyed lunch with my brother Keoni, my father saw her and knew he wanted to speak to her. However, he was so struck by her beauty and grew so nervous that he couldn’t bring himself to approach her. He chickened out and continued his wanderings through the shops and stalls. While looking at some artwork, he turned around and there she was. Typical of my mother, she had grown tired of waiting for the handsome stranger to chat her up, so she made it happen. They were married in April 1982 and I followed a year a half after. My mother was my very best friend and we spent countless hours in conversation going over the good, the bad and the ugly of life. There is no one I held closer to my heart and I can only hope to be so fortunate as to share a relationship like that with my own daughter someday. She was also incredibly beautiful, much like her own mother. She would roll her eyes and wave me off every single time I told her that, but facts are facts. My mother was an artist. She picked up hobbies and quickly became proficient. From knitting to quilting to crocheting, all the way to her most recent endeavor, jewelry and metal work. Her creativity and drive for perfection in her pieces resulted in some of the most stunning and well-crafted jewelry, quilts and textiles I’ve ever seen. My mother was incredibly intelligent and strong. She is the reason I grew up reading Shakespeare and Poe. She is the reason I cannot get enough of historical and archeological documentaries. We used to spend our weekend down time watching documentary after documentary under a blanket with snacks, and later wine, in hand. She is the only reason I stood up for myself and thrived as I was coming up in professional kitchens. She made me believe that I was valuable, capable, and worthy of everything. My mother was endlessly loving. She was tirelessly supportive through our mistakes and bad decisions, always waiting on the other side, sticking with you for better or worse. She was, of course, not a perfect person. Occasionally her own insecurities got the better of her and made it difficult for her to show how much she cared for you, but it was always there, always constant. She loved her family, through and through, no matter what. Every single one of us. My mother was surprisingly adventurous. She and my father went on a motorcycle trip through multiple states including Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. She followed my father throughout his career from her home in California to Washington, Massachusetts and back to the west coast, finally settling in the Pacific Northwest. Mom and Dad were constantly heading out in the RV to spend time in national parks and campgrounds with the dog and cat in tow. I was very fortunate to have taken a few road trips just the two of us, giving me some of my most cherished adventures, memories and conversations. All these traits AND MORE made up this woman that we all knew and loved. It is hard to sit here and attempt to put into words who she was and what she meant to us, even harder to do so in this format and under these circumstances. I just hope I’ve done her justice. Artemisa Mauck suffered a stroke on August 13th while at dinner with her husband Curtis, which she never recovered from. She left us to go on to her next adventure during the early morning of August 17th while her daughter held her hand. She left behind her mother, Encarnacion Tucker, her husband Curtis Mauck, their loved and spoiled fur babies Lola and Kat, as well as her children Keoni, Stephanie, and Chelsea and five grandchildren, including Bonnie, Keoni Kai, and Tucker. I encourage you all to leave your own messages and memories of her. Share your feelings, release your grief, make some jokes…all is welcome here. If you would like to talk or have any questions, I am always available. *Chelsea - (360) 516-7120* There will not be any funeral or memorial service for my mom. She made her wishes very clear to me over the years, stating emphatically, “I want to be a tree!” So here we are two months after her passing, donating trees in her name to be planted all over the state. So donate a tree, send a little prayer, remember happy times with her and if you do nothing else…GO HUG YOUR LOVED ONES. Thank you all for being a part of her life and I am endlessly sorry for your loss.