February 9, 1957 ~ December 1, 2011
Resided in:
Hermosa Beach, CA
Maida Caridad Bessler, a 30 year resident of the South Bay, passed away on Thursday, December 1, 2011 in Hermosa Beach at age 54. Born in Havana, Cuba, Maida was a toddler when her family emigrated to the United States shortly after the Cuban Revolution. Maida was a member of St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church, a highly respected instructor at Los Angeles Trade-Tech Community College, and loving wife and mother of 3 children. After graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University in NJ, Maida moved to Southern California where she began a decade long career in the aerospace business as an administrator for TRW. She earned an MBA at Cal State Long Beach and teaching credential at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Seeking to make a more profound impact on people's lives, she transitioned to teaching as a profession, and taught at the elementary and college levels for nearly 2 decades up until the time of her death. Maida was proud of her Cuban heritage, and preserved the colorful language, food, and dance throughout her life. She enjoyed arts and crafts, the casual lifestyle familiar in the beach cities, the serenity discovered in nature while camping or exploring our National Parks, and a good movie from time to time. But her true passion was embracing her family and closest friends, and was her children's greatest cheerleader. A magnetic personality that touched so many lives, she will be dearly missed by all. Maida is survived by her husband of 22 years, Steven Bessler of Hermosa Beach, CA; daughter, Stephanie and sons, Alex and Derik Bessler; brother, Ernesto Martinez of NJ; and nephews Alex and Marcos Martinez of FL. She was a loving and dedicated daughter to her now deceased parents Graciano and Zoila Martinez. The Service will be held at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach on Friday December 9, 2011 at 10am followed by a Reception in the Church Hall. Burial will be private at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Breast Cancer Foundation.
Guestbook
To the family of Maida Bessler I am very sorry for your loss. I work with Steve and didn’t know Maida very well, but I’ve also lost people I loved to breast cancer. My greatest condolences.
Maida, Your pleasant disposition, graciousness, and joyous smile will certainly be missed by all at LATTC. May you rest in peace. Paulette Bailey
I had the opportunity to have Mrs. Bessler for a few classes for my Office Administration program at LATTC. She was one of my BEST professor. Excellent teacher, knowledgeable, and a very great communicator. It was very sad and unnerving to hear the news of her passing. May her soul rest in peace. My heartfelt condolence to her family. She was a beautiful woman.A sweet soul, just a very nice person.
Steve and kids, we send our deepest and most heartfelt condolences…we will pray for you all to find the strength to endure through the pain of your great loss.
Maida Bessler was so very nice and kind. I had the pleasure of working with her at LATTC for 12 years. Each day she greeted me with a warm smile and a pleasant, “Good Morning!”. My prayers to her family.
Maida brought energy and excitement to the Business-CAOT-CIS-Paralegal-Community Planning department. She was an innovator and will certainly be missed. I had the pleasure of teaching two Public Relations and customer service courses last year; courses she brought to our Department and the College system. Maida you will be missed by both faculty and students.
I worked with Maida at Trade Tech. Since the twins are the same age as my daughter, we always had lots to share with each other about their progress in school and growing up. We often talked about how our energy has been focused on our childrens’ happiness and success. Her kids were always her number one priority and her love shined through every conversation. <3
I first met Maida 14 years ago when we were both enrolling our first borns in Kindergarten. We discovered we had younger children of the same age and many things in common. From then on we became “Mom” friends. We shared many wonderful times and experiences on school field trips, beach/park outings, and birthday parties. It didn’t matter how much time had passed since we last saw each other, it was always easy to connect with Maida. She was a dear friend and I will miss her. My heartfelt condolences to Steve, Stephanie, Derik and Alex.
Although I did not work with Maida very long while she was at Buford School in Lennox, I remember her fondly. I remember having a dream that she was pregnant and telling her the next day. Maida didn’t know that she was expecting. Two weeks later she told me she was! Even though we haven’t kept in touch, the world will not be as bright without you in it Maida. May God Bless you and your family.
Dear Maida, May you rest in peace. May your family be comforted by the love of God and may you know you will be missed greatly at Trade-Tech. God Bless, Linda Cole
I haven’t seen Maida in 20 years! I recall our time at TRW and the after work excursions to “Happy Hour”, dancing to Madonna and the time we went river rafting on the American River(before marriage & kids). Maida was full of life and spirit. She will certainly be missed.
Thank you for your excellent teachings! May God Bless You with a peaceful journey.
I thank you so much for your time and teachings. God Bless you.
Maida, My dear friend, you were the bravest woman I have ever known. So sorry for all the pain you suffered. You lived your life with such dignity. You left behind a lovely family, who will greatly miss you. You are not a person who will be forgotten. I am sure in the after life, you are still a dynamic angel. Love Always, Susan Royce
Maida, although I did not know you on a personal level, I will always remember your smile as you would pass me by and say hello. You had a wonderful reputation at LATTC; your calm and quiet spirit on campus, I’m sure, was a reflection of the love for your profession and your students. You will be greatly missed at LATTC. My heartfelt prayers go out to your family. May your soul have peace, above. Love and Respect.
Maida, When our family visited yours several years ago, you opened us with welcome arms and we felt like we had known you and yours for many years. Although we have lived across the country and have not kept in touch, I still feel connected to you on a familial level and am very sorry to have lost you from this world. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of your family and friends. Love, Annie Witte
I only had the pleasure of meeting Maida a couple of times, the most memorable of which was during a family trip to visit the Bessler’s in California. We had such a wonderful time exploring Southern California with them, and I remember that trip fondly. I am so sorry to hear about Maida’s passing – she will be greatly missed. Much love to the Bessler family! Tracy
Maida, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My family and I had such a wonderful time with you and your family when we visited California a few years ago. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your wonderful family.
Maida will be surely missed. Even though I only saw her a few times, each time we met it was like we had always known each other. My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve and his family.
Steve, I am very sorry for you and your family’s loss. My best wishes to you and your family in this very sad time. I wish that I could provide more profound words but at these times, I think that simpler is better. Martin
So sorry to hear of Maida’s passing. We all remember one of our favorite vacations which was made special by Maida’s unbounded hospitality.
Steve, We are deeply sorry to hear about the death of Maida! Our hearts go out to you in your time of sorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.
To Maida’s family: I’m an old friend from our high school days in West New York, NJ. I’m deeply saddened by Maida’s passing and ask GOD to give strength to those she left behind. It sounds like the life she led after our lives took different paths mirrored the one we shared as teenagers. Maida and I shared many fun days, some sad days, and even some stressful days in school. Please know that you, Maida, and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace my friend. Love, Mari
My deepest sympathies to Maida’s family. I was a friend of Maida from our days in Memorial High School in West New York, NJ. I always knew she was special, so smart and with a wonderful sense of humor. I have no words to say how very sad I am at her loss. I am sure she will live on in all our memories. God Bless
My deepest sympathies to Maida’s family. I was a friend of Maida from our days in Memorial High School in West New York, NJ. I always knew she was special, so smart and with a wonderful sense of humor. I have no words to say how very sad I am at her loss. I am sure she will live on in all our memories. God Bless
I was so sorry to hear about the passing of our dear colleague Maida. I enjoyed working with Maida as the secretary of her dept. at L. A. Trade Tech for the last four years. She had unlimited energy and enthusiasm, and wonderful people skills. She always treated me with dignity and respect, and I will miss her greatly. Rest in peace, Maida.
Steve and family, I am so deeply saddened by the loss of Maida. I may have never met her, but knowing your situation and the parallels to mine, I feel I know you all in my heart. Please accept my most deepest sympathy. I pray that you will have the strength to move on without Maida. From my experience with dealing with the loss of my wife Pam over three years ago, I know it is hard and it will take time. But just take one day at a time and share your love for each other and your memories of Maida and let time heal. Sincerely, Jack Macek
I am so sorry to hear about Maida’s passing. I worked with her at Trade-Tech. She was so dedicated, and had great vision. I have been out of the loop since I retired, so was slow to get the news, but I will miss Maida, none the less.
To the Bessler family; My deepest and most sincere condolences. Maida; so smart, so funny, so witty and stylish. You are blessed to have shared a part of your life with her. Jorge R.