Maria Angelica (Tapia) Contreras

Maria Angelica Contreras was born in San Felipe, Chile, to Violeta Tapia and the late Alejandro Tapia. She passed away on May 22, 2025, at the age of 67, surrounded by her loving family.

Angelica lived a life filled with love, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to her family and friends. She spent her early years in Chile before following her family to the United States, where she raised her family and built not only a home but also a community rooted in love and care.

Angelica opened her home and heart to hundreds of families through her beloved daycare, where she nurtured, taught, and deeply loved children like they were her own, for nearly four decades. More than a caregiver, she became a second mother, a trusted advisor, and a constant source of calming support for so many new parents. Former daycare families often said that finding Angelica wasn’t just about choosing childcare–it was about gaining a family. She and her mother created a daycare environment that offered comfort and guidance to the families they cared for–a place filled with music, home-cooked meals, learning, joyful play, laughter, and multigenerational love.

Beyond the families she welcomed through her daycare, Angelica’s greatest joy came from her own family. She was a devoted wife, a fiercely loving mother, and an adoring grandmother. Her love for her children and grandchildren was unmatched, expressed through everyday acts of care, big family dinners, and showing up for every life event or school milestone. She brought a spirit of comfort, warmth, and laughter to every gathering. Her deep devotion and love anchored her family, and her generosity will continue to guide them–and all those she touched–for generations to come. Angelica loved returning to Chile to visit family, gather everyone together, and plan every detail. She would joyfully orchestrate their reunions and was the reason everyone came together.

Angelica was the emotional center of her family: the beloved wife of Milton Contreras; loving mother of Milton Contreras, Jr. and his wife Paula, Karina Contreras, and the late Nicole Contreras; cherished daughter of Violeta Tapia and the late Alejandro Tapia; devoted grandmother of Josefa and Vicente Contreras; dear sister of Christian Tapia, Marcelo Tapia, and Alejandra Tapia; and caring aunt of Christopher Tapia, Cristian Tapia, Christian Tapia, Nathalia Tapia, and Priscilla Tapia.

Angelica’s legacy is etched in the hearts of everyone lucky enough to be touched by her guiding light.

A wake will be held on Tuesday, May 27, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at MacDonald, Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home at 270 Main Street, Watertown. On Wednesday, May 28, visiting hours will continue at 9:00 AM at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM at St. Patrick’s Church at 212 Main Street, Watertown. Family and friends are kindly invited to attend.

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