Gloria Yolanda Alaniz (Lansing)

Mrs. Gloria Yolanda Alaniz passed away Saturday, May 29, 2021, at Sparrow Health Systems in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 82 years. She was born November 9, 1938, in McAllen, Texas; the daughter: Fidel (Fred) and Dolores (Lola) Garcia.

Their family lived briefly in Fort Myers, Florida as she was growing up and then the family relocated to Sheridan, Michigan. Gloria met her first husband and the love of her life, Herman O. Cancino, Sr. at a Bailé (a Mexican dance) in Edmore, Michigan; they married on September 14, 1963, in the City of Stanton, Michigan. Herman and Gloria (Cancino) have four children together, three sons: Adam Richard Garcia (Rick), Maximilian Lee Cancino, Herman Cancino, Jr., and one daughter: Michelle Marie Cancino (Micaela).

Gloria accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at the young age of 11, whom she without wavering, loved and faithfully served her entire life thereafter. She is known as a great intercessor prayer warrior. Everyone came to her for prayer as she had a direct connection with God that He favored her in answering her prayers which seemed like immediately (she could move heaven, the hand of God). Herman and Gloria later resided in Lansing, Michigan where they raised their children until 1975 when they relocated to Lake Odessa, Michigan (a small town about 30 minutes away from Lansing). They were long-standing members of Calvario, a bilingual church located in Okemos, Michigan where Herman inevitably became a preacher and would preach occasionally. The entire Cancino family would travel from Lake Odessa to Okemos for church every Sunday for many years. Herman worked as a welder at General Motors Fisher Body plant in Lansing. They both worked together in the fields part-time picking produce, Herman would often bring migrant workers up from Mexico to work with them, and this is how Gloria became employed as a teacher's aide to migrant worker's children serving in a school located in Ionia, Michigan. On July 20, 1979, Herman O. Cancino, Sr. passed away from injuries, mainly a severe head/brain trauma, which he sustained in a motorcycle accident. In 1982 as a struggling single mother of three kids at home, Gloria relocated back to Lansing to be closer to her siblings and at the request of her younger brother, Frank Garcia, Sr., who had a house for her and her three children to reside in. In 1986, after the Calvario Church disbanded and later renamed under new ownership, Gloria began looking for a new church to attend closer to home, she visited a few including Mount Hope Church, but later became a faithful, long-standing member of Iglesia El Buen Pastor where she met her second husband and best friend, David P. Alaniz, Sr. After having been alone serving the Lord and raising her children for 13 years. Upon meeting David and after a brief courtship, David and Gloria married on November 28, 1992, at Iglesia El Buen Pastor officiated by their then pastor, the late Juan Holguin, Sr. with her best friend of 20 years, Macedonia (Macy) Velasquez (later, Lozano) as her matron of honor, her only daughter and best friend, Michelle Cancino as her maid of honor by her side and her son, Maximilian Cancino giving her away. They enjoyed each other's company, were always laughing and having fun. They did everything together. They were retired, so they both enjoyed traveling, shopping (mostly thrift stores), attending their respective grandchildren's events, watching westerns and Family Feud, doing puzzles (Gloria especially loved doing Fill-In puzzles), visiting their family and friends as well as eating at cookouts and new restaurants. Among their favorite places to eat are Mexico 2 Go, Tacos E Mas, Culver's, Hibachi Grill, and Red Robin. They loved their families, church family, and their closest friends deeply. They both tirelessly served together in the church as well as in the Christian community helping whomever they could so selflessly until the pandemic hit in 2020. David passed away on November 11, 2020, just two days after her birthday on the 9th which is when she got to say her goodbye to him while he was in hospice care. Just a week or so prior to David's passing, Gloria moved in with her only daughter, Michelle who became her primary caregiver; lovingly and sacrificially caring for her with her variant health issues up until she passed on May 29, 2021, just 7 months from the time that her husband, David had passed. She missed him so much and would tell her daughter about it almost daily.

Gloria was such an amazing woman of God who literally loved everyone unconditionally. All of her children's friends throughout the years affectionately call her Ma, Mama, Mom as they loved her like she was their own Mama and she loved them all as her own children as well. During the past few months, Gloria enjoyed spending time with her son, Rick, his wife, Robin, and their cat. She also enjoyed spending time with her great-niece, Crystal Martinez (daughter of niece and nephew: Lori and Tomas Martinez) who works as a PA and would assist Michelle in her care by taking her to her various doctor appointments, grocery shopping, etc. Gloria grew attached to the 7 of Crystal's 11 children who yet live at home with her as they did her. She also enjoyed spending time with her sister, Jane, and her brother-in-law, Richard as they would often make her laugh which is something she missed when Papa passed; he was always making us all laugh, especially her. Gloria had a wonderful Mother’s Day on May 9th, her sons and daughter spoiled her (as they often would) especially since this was her first Mother's Day without her husband, David here with her, they wanted to make it really special for her. From the various lunches/dinners to the shopping sprees for clothing and cute sneakers (which she loved), decor items for her room to makeup and skincare items from her daughter, etc. She was so happy as were her children. She spent the past several weeks enjoying her time with her daughter, Michelle; her sons, Max and Herman; her brother, Fred; sister-in-law, Lila; nephew, Alejandro as well as talking on the phone and/or FaceTime with her former daughter-in-law, Rita and mostly all of her grandchildren.

To sum up, what legacy Gloria Yolanda leaves behind, it would be...LOVE. A very deep, unconditional, and abiding love. She was the absolute sweetest person you could ever meet. She was quite literally a physical embodiment of God's love upon the earth and beyond.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her daughter, Michelle Marie Cancino (Micaela); 3 sons, Adam Richard Garcia (Rick), Maximiliam Lee Cancino, and Herman Cancino, Jr.; grandchildren, Herman Cancino, III/Joe (Kristin) VanHorn, Holt, Michigan; Ruby Rae Garcia (Markeveous) Barton, Little Rock, Arkansas; Maximilian Lee (Jessica) Cancio Michael, Sr., Lansing, Michigan; Reena Renae Garcia, Corpus Christi, Texas; Lacie Lee Marie Cancino (Marcus) Velasquez, Lansing, Michigan; Roxanne Garcia (Marty) Ortiz, Corpus Christi, Texas; Richard (Jessica) Garcia, Corpus Christi, Texas; Jacob Lee Thomas Perez Cancino, Lansing, Michigan; Abraham Moses Cancino, Lansing, Michigan; and Diego José Cancino, Lansing, Michigan; great-grandchildren, Gabriella VanHorn; Rushawn Javion Garcia-Love; Marc Anthony Garcia; Alissa VanHorn; Karmen Tyasia Moore; Makayla Marie Hadley; Dyemond LaShae Garcia; Asianna Lee Michael; Gabriella Marie Velasquez; Azalea Marie Michael; Kameron Avery Moore; Romann Jermaine Garcia; Aubrey Ann Garcia; Dylan Daniel Garcia; Remy Lee Ortiz; Jessalena Marie Velasquez; Maximilian Lee Michael, Jr.; Jezlynn Renee Velasquez; Myles Antonio Ortiz; Baby Velasquez (due October 2021); sister, Jane (Richard) Vasquez; brothers, Fred (Lila) Garcia, Jr., and Frank (Francis) Garcia, Sr.; 22 nieces, Nancy Hernandez; Rosemary Salazar; Rita (Luis) Herrera; Lori (Tomas) Martinez; Tina (Jeff) Carroll; Tracy (Filiberto, Jr.) Solis; Rosalinda (Rick) McDermott; Dolores Garcia. Patricia (Mario) Ramos; Priscilla Hernandez Puente; Pamela (Miguel) Gomez; Pauline Puente (Jorgé) Gonzales; Peggy Puente; Celina Mendoza; Ivonne (Rey) Sandoval; Belinda (William) Balsells; Norma (David) Valdez; Maxine Rodriguez; Melissa (Ernesto) Rendon; Evelyn Cantu; Erica (Eddy, Sr.) Salinas; Pebbie Moncada; 15 nephews, Junior Salazar; Frank Garcia, Jr.; Michael Garcia; Felipe Salazar, Jr.; Alejandro (Lupé) Garcia; Carlos (Jessica) Garcia, Sr.; Santiago (Monique) Garcia, Sr. Pedro (Eva) Puente, Jr.; Norbert (Belinda) Cancino, Jr.; Jesse Cancino; Joe Cancino; Michael (Myrka) Cancino; Frank Cancino, Jr.; Eli Cantu; Edward Cantu; 4 sisters-in-law, Lila Garcia, Francis Garcia, Rosie Cantu, and Delma Cancino; 4 brothers-in-law, Norbert Cancino, Sr., Frank (Paco) Cancino, Sr., Felipe Salazar, Sr., and Richard Vasquez; many other relatives and friends, including the mothers of her grandchildren, Rita Vasquez; LaLoni Michael; Carmen Perez; Christina VanHorn; Jennifer McKeon; and Emily Garza.

Preceded in death by her father, Fidel (Fred) Alejandro Garcia; mother, Dolores (Lola) Garcia; first husband, Herman O. Cancino, Sr.; father-in-law, Maximiliano Charles Cancino; mother-in-law, Felicitas (Fela) Beatriz Oyervides Cancino; nephew, Ernesto Cantu, Jr.; sister-in-law, Norma Cancino; niece and nephew, Sylvia (Gilberto) Salazar Ruiz; sister-in-law, Asuncion (Chita) Puente; brother-in-law: Pedro (Pete) Puente, Sr.; great-granddaughter, Lily Lynn Michael (unborn); sister, Gricelda (Grace) Salazar; brother-in-law, Johnny Cancino; nephew-in-law, Jorgé Hernandez; brother-in-law, Maximiliano Cancino, Jr.; and second husband, David P. Alaniz, Sr.