Lilia Esther Burgos

Lilia Esther Burgos, 83, Jacksonville, passed away May 23, 2021 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law with her family by her side. She had moved to Florida from Portland, Oregon 2 ½ years prior, in order to be closer to her family. She was born in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, eldest daughter of the late Don Alfonso Burgos and Dona Sofia Sepulveda. As a child she loved the country, running and playing outdoors with her siblings and spending time with her maternal grandmother who would take her on horseback in the early mornings to survey the family’s coffee plantations. That love of Puerto Rico, her ancestors, plants, flowers and nature remained strong throughout her life. After graduating college, Lilia taught elementary school in the Ponce, Puerto Rico public school system for 24 years until she retired. She was a creative leader and teacher, organizing trips, pageants, and helping students to act and recite. Over the years, many of her grown-up students would go out of their way to greet her and thank her for having taught them to read and write. In tandem with her teaching activities, Lilia was also a florist and a boutique owner in Ponce. Many brides including 2 of her sisters enjoyed her floral artistry on their wedding days. Weddings were family affairs with her children and her then husband Adrian helping decorate the churches very early in the morning on wedding days. After retiring from teaching, she went on to become an entrepreneur, trainer, and business woman, having owned several successful businesses during that time. She helped many families to start their own businesses and she educated people in Puerto Rico, the United States and Mexico on the benefits of plants, health supplements and entrepreneurship. She was a people person, loved and admired by many, she had a beautiful sense of style, was the life of the party and she loved to inspire, to dance, to sing and to laugh. When she moved to the United States, she perfected her English, grew and developed her business activities and loved traveling and discovering new places. Lilia was a deeply spiritual person, she practiced meditation, yoga, reiki, and she participated in ministry activities with a number of churches in Rhode Island and Oregon. She loved helping to bring comfort and hope to people. Private services were held according to her wishes. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Zaida Celadilla, and by her half-siblings Miguel Angel, Elsa and Junior Burgos. She is survived by her children, Adrilia Pedersen (Kenneth), St. Augustine, Adrian Valentin, Portland, Oregon, Omar Valentin (Danielle), Jacksonville; sisters, Pilar Edwards, Quitman, TX, Margie Malinowski, Portland, Oregon; half-brother Reinold Burgos, and grandson, Javier Valentin. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lilia Esther Burgos

August 29, 1937 - May 23, 2021