Ulda (Hilda) Santana

Hilda was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 4, 1953. Her birth name was actually ULDA which if you were to pronounce it properly would sound like OOOLDAH. Since that was difficult for most people to pronounce she was always known as Hilda. Hilda was the sixth of seven children of Evelina and Pedro Santiago. After marrying she went by Ulda (Hilda) Santana. Hilda is survived by her sister, Anna; her two children, Michael and Christina, seven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was living in Queen Creek, AZ when she went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2025. According to her doctor, a massive cerebral hemorrhage took her life.

Hilda was a single mom that worked her entire adult life for AT&T (previously known as Pacific Bell). When she retired from AT&T, she developed many hobbies. She did knitting, crocheting, cup art (she transferred pictures of her family onto cups), she collected gemstones and turned them into jewelry by using silver or gold filled wire wrapping. She did some beautiful pieces however, after some time she grew tired of making jewelry and went on to do weaving, Lego art and many more things.

Anyone who knew Hilda knows she had a personal relationship with God that caused her to look forward to the day she would meet her Maker. Well, she is with Him now and I can only imagine her joy!

Again, all who knew her, know that she was quite a character with a dry sense of humor that would cause her to sometimes say outrageous things that we would all write off as “that’s Hilda!” One of Hilda’s favorite things to say whenever we would try to get her to do something to improve her quality of life was “well, ya gotta die of something“! It is however most important to say that even though her humor and disposition was often blunt, she loved deeply and was devoted to her family. She was a mother/grandmother and mentor to many besides her immediate family.

She was loved deeply by her nieces and nephews because she was like a mother to them.

We will miss her very much, but we know she’s in a much better place no longer feeling the limitations she had in her earthly body!

Rest in peace, my dear sister! - Anna