Obituary of Marie Josephine Semas

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday in Aptos, for Marie Josephine Semas who succumbed to heart failure on March 31, 2014. Born Mary Josephine Andrade in Santa Clara, California, she was 95 years old. Marie attended primary grades in a two-room schoolhouse in rural Santa Clara, graduated from Santa Clara High, and attended Healds Business School. Her secretarial and bookkeeping career began at age 18 with the Santa Clara branch of the American Trust Company (now Wells Fargo Bank). Then in September of 1940 she married Robert E. "Butch" Semas - a marriage lasting until his death 64 years later. During WWII, she joined her husband at Camp Davis, South Carolina, where she worked for the Red Cross. She returned to be with family in Santa Clara in 1944 when Butch was transferred to the Philippine Islands. Their only child, Robert Jr., was born two weeks after his father's overseas deployment. After the war, Marie maintained a part-time bookkeeping and secretarial career in Santa Clara and later in Santa Cruz. In 1968, when Butch's wholesale liquor territory was transferred, she and Butch relocated to Monterey. She loved to reminisce about her various jobs and the people with whom she worked. She also treasured longtime friendships, keeping in touch with her boss from the Red Cross for over 50 years, and her childhood neighbor from Santa Clara for all of her 95 years. Her home overlooking the bay in Monterey remained her favorite place for 38 years. Spry and energetic, she kept house herself and helped Butch establish and maintain a yard that would challenge a mountain goat. She and Butch were widely known as a highly social, hospitable and well-dressed couple who enjoyed dancing and a good game of bridge. Their travels included trips in Butch's 4-seat plane, cruises and vacations abroad. One of their favorite trips was to the Azores Islands, home to many of their ancestors. Following Butch's death in 2005, Marie remained in Monterey in her home and then at the Park Lane retirement residence until 2009 when she moved to Dominican Oaks senior apartments to be nearer to her family in Santa Cruz. Marie is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Bob and Kathleen Semas of Santa Cruz; granddaughters Cris Imai (Eric) of Santa Cruz, and Katie Huitt (Aaron) of Portland, Oregon; and great-granddaughters Megan and Kaitlin Imai. She is also survived by her brother, Clarence Andrade (Ida), of Santa Clara; a nephew ,and many nieces, great-nieces, and great-nephews. The mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Resurrection Catholic Church (7600 Soquel Drive) in Aptos, California beginning at 11 A.M. She will be laid to rest in a private ceremony beside her beloved husband Butch, at San Carlos Cemetery in Monterey. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the Katz Resource Center at Dominican Hospital, Hospice of Santa Cruz, or a charity of the donor's choice.