Mary Anne Rios, 56, of Lompoc passed on January 11, 2014 at her home of lung cancer. She was not a smoker, but she had lungs so she was at risk for lung cancer. A Lompoc native, Mary Anne was born on Thanksgiving night 1957 to Katherine and Frank Costa Sr. She grew up in Drum Canyon with her sister, Kathi and brother, Frank Jr. Riding the Highway 246 school bus, she made lifelong friends who honored her and her family in February 2013 with the Rios Family Fundraiser.
Mary Anne attended Hapgood Elementary, Lompoc Junior High and Lompoc High School. An active 4-H member for ten years, she was a County All Star and a California State Fashion Revue winner. As a Class of 1975 alumni she was instrumental in organizing several class reunions and also served on the Lompoc High School Alumni Association Board. In 2012, Mary Anne was inducted into the Lompoc High School Alumni Hall of Fame. This honor fulfilled a dream Mary Anne did not think possible because she had never played football.
A descendant of Portuguese immigrants, she took part in the annual Lompoc Portuguese Festa most notably as the 1972 queen. Later, she served as the association's secretary. Her children, Charlie and Paige followed the tradition by participating in the annual festa with Paige reigning as both junior(1999) and senior (2008) queen.
A graduate of Allan Hancock College, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics/Fashion Merchandising at California State University, Northridge in 1979. Her professional career included retail fashion management for Wild West and Casual Corner stores throughout California, Regional Occupation Program retail merchandising instructor at Righetti High School and program specialist at Lompoc High School. She found her true calling as a student counselor completing her Master's through the University of La Verne in 2001. Mary Anne was a counselor at Lompoc High School for ten years, taking a medical retirement in 2011. Through her work as a counselor she encouraged LHS students to work hard and pursue their goals which earned her several honored counselor nominations, State FFA Star Counselor nominee and a 2011 Crystal Apple award.
Mary Anne was proud of her family. She married Lompoc native, Charles H. Rios on July 14, 1990 at Old Mission Santa Ines. Throughout their marriage, they enjoyed entertaining friends in their home. Education was important to Mary Anne, she was looking forward to attending her children's college graduations. Charlie is a senior mechanical engineering student at Fresno State attending on a Husband Boeing scholarship. Paige is a junior at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks majoring in criminal justice with a minor in sociology. Mary Anne was a member of La Purisima Catholic Church, Lompoc Portuguese Association and Lompoc High School Alumni Association. In addition to entertaining friends and family, Mary Anne enjoyed karaoke, dancing, making jewelry, collecting Barbies, coordinating fashions for her friends and keeping in touch with her former students.
Following her lung cancer diagnosis in 2010, Mary Anne became an advocate for lung cancer awareness. She partnered with Lung Cancer Alliance to host the first annual Shine A Light On Lung Cancer Vigil in Lompoc in 2010 and continued to host the vigil for three more years.
She is survived by her husband of 23 years, Charles; her son, Charles C. Rios; daughter, Paige Rios; parents, Katie and Frank Costa Sr.; sister, Kathi (George) Downey; brother, Frank (Kim) Costa Jr.; nieces, Shelby, Kasi and Kylin Costa; sister-in-law, Maryann Rios; brother-in-law, John (Jill) Rios; the Domingos Family cousins; four aunts, an uncle, her many friends and former students as well as her faithful four-legged companion, Barbie.
A vigil/rosary will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at La Purisima Catholic Church with a mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at La Purisima Catholic Church. Graveside services will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Lompoc.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Mary Anne Rios Memorial Scholarship fund, c/o of Rios/Kathi Downey, P.O. Box 215, Lompoc, CA 93438 or to Lung Cancer Alliance, P.O. Box 418372, Boston, MA 02241-8372 or online at www.lungcanceralliance.org