On November 24, 2023, Bertha Ayala Plascencia passed away peacefully in her home in Fresno, CA at the age of 68 of cancer. She joined her parents, her sister, and son.

Bertha was born on 01/01/55 in La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico. She married Antonio Plascencia in 1976 and moved to the United States in 1978. They had 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy (passed away shortly after birth), and 7 grandchildren. Bertha worked as a seamstress for 11 years (there's an endless supply of scarves, curtains, pillows, etc. to prove this), 11 years for Oakland Unified School District at Havenscourt Jr. High (we can still hear her heels and keys), and 11 years for Project SOAR (she always pushed for education). While she was at Havenscourt and Project SOAR, she also worked with various families for 30 years and built lifelong relationships that eventually made them family.

She is survived by her husband, 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, 4 brothers, and an incredibly large group of extended family and friends. She was always their loudest cheerleader (literally) at every accomplishment, performance, and game. Her superpower was cooking. Her hobbies included crafting, sewing, and watching soccer.