Marina Ester (Cabrera) Weatherhead, age 82, passed away on March 23, 2024, in Provo, Utah. Marina was born on May 4, 1941, in Chiquimula, Guatemala, to Antonio “Tono” José Cabrera Paiz and Ectelvina “Elvira” Valdés Solís. Although her father began his employment as a carpenter and did not make a substantial income, she and her brother enjoyed spending time at the homes of their uncle Manuel “Meme” Cabrera (a dentist) and aunt Maria “Maruca” Cabrera (a mathematics teacher) who provided them with a radio and record player on which to play their favorite music. Growing up in Chiquimula, she attended the Instituto Normal para Señoritas de Oriente until her graduation in 1958.
As a young teen, Marina spent much of her spare time with her cousins Neri, Maricela, Rosita, and Chomita. She often visited her Tia Maruca’s home, where the children danced and played games. She and her childhood friend, Floridalma, remained in touch all their lives. Not only did she enjoy school dances and outdoor swimming excursions, Marina also dreamed of one day becoming a ballerina.
Marina’s family was converted to the LDS “Mormon” Church in about 1957, a membership in which she remained faithful until her death. Her father began a funeral home business and was a beloved local church leader and public servant in her hometown. After graduating from the Instituto Normal para Señoritas de Chiquimula (in primary education) in 1960, she taught elementary school for a short time, then served a full-time LDS mission in Central America from 1961-62.
Following her mission, she immigrated to the U.S. and married Thomas W. Carmack of Atascadero, CA, in 1963. She and Tom had two children together—Olitha and Noel. During her years in Atascadero, she raised her children while her husband worked at the Atascadero State Hospital. When she and her husband separated in 1977, she moved with her two children to Mesa, Arizona, to be close to her pseudo-brother, Bladimiro Ruiz. She and Tom divorced in 1978.
During her time in Mesa, Marina worked in the Arizona Temple intermittently as a cafeteria worker and laundry worker. Under the temple presidency of Junius Driggs (1975-1980) and his counselor, Glen Warner, she thrived and made many new and lifelong friends, including Maria Sawyer and Elvira Galvan. In 1982, she married Warren G. “Doc” Holton, a cattle broker, with whom she remained married for three years while she continued her employment at the Mesa Temple.
In 1986, she married Bruce Weatherhead, a machinist who worked for Cyprus Minerals in the company’s open-pit copper mine in Bagdad, AZ. The couple resided in Bagdad and then Prescott Valley, Arizona, from 1986 until Bruce’s death in 2010. The couple made many lasting friendships in both communities during their twenty-four years of marriage. Following her husband’s death, Marina moved to St. George, Utah, where she lived until 2020, when she made a final move to Provo, Utah. Marina’s church service and faithful activity continued until her death after a rapid decline from the effects of dementia while living at Cove Point Assisted Living facility.
Marina was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Bruce, and her daughter, Olitha Carmack (John Valdez), who resided in Santa Maria. She is survived by her brother, Guillermo Cabrera (Eugenia), of Guatemala City, Guatemala; nephews, Guillermo (Diana), Antonio (Wendy), pseudo-nephew Bladimiro Ruiz, Jr.; and niece, Gabriela Cabrera and pseudo-niece, Gabriela Ruiz. She is also survived by a son, Noel A. Carmack (Deena); a granddaughter, Jessica McCown (Rachel Renfro); a grandson, Kenneth Carmack (McKenna); and great-grandsons, Henry Carmack and Asher Arredondo. She is also survived by stepson Michael Weatherhead (Juli), Joanie Weatherhead Schindler (Andrew), and Rachel Weatherhead Ridley (Danny).
A funeral service has not been planned. However, memorial services in both Atascadero, CA, and Cedar City, UT, will be held sometime this summer.
