Hortencia Parody was born to Ricardo & Francisca in La Linea de la Concepcion, Spain on the 14th June 1933.

Hortencia lost her parents at a very young age. First her mother died at a young age of 29 from appendicitis. Her father remarried to Maria Paz. Her father was a captain of the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish civil war from 1936 to 1939. He was the most wanted man by the military group lead by the dictator Francisco Franco. She moved with her father, stepmother and brother to Valencia to escape the military group, where she also did her first holy communion when she was 8. Her father died at 48 from throat cancer in Valencia, and she grew up with her stepmother. Hortencia and her younger brother moved back to La Linea when she was 17yrs old. Hortencia’s only brother Ricardo worked in the well-known Bar Sevilla in La Linea where he met a lovely English couple who convinced him to emigrate to Leeds, UK to find work where he settled down with his future wife and two sons.

Hortencia started working for Almacenes Merida after coming back to La Linea and met the love of her life Agusto Parody shortly after. They got married and had 11 children, 8 girls Mari, Christine, Rose, Clemen, Mercy, Elizabeth, Olga & Lourdes and 3 boys Agusto, Albert & Richard. Hortencia was the best mother to her children and gave everything she could to them, she was a very happy and entertaining woman until the end. She was a proud grandmother to 48 grandchildren, not counting the great grandchildren.

Not forgetting that Hortencia was the best cook, she would cook for all occasions for all of the family, her best dishes appreciated by all the family were paella valenciana, rosto, pan dulce, torrijas, to name a few, there were many favourites.

Hortencia passed away at the age of 86 on 28th August 2019 leaving a lot of sadness, but also leaving us to cherish the good memories. She will never be forgotten and there are no words to describe how much Hortencia was loved. Always and forever in our hearts, until we meet again.