Carmen Odila Guevara

Carmen Odila Guevara, or as her family affectionately called her, Mami Odi, peacefully passed away on May 21, 2022, at the age of 68. She had many health complications as a result of her autoimmune disease, but her family did their best to make her last days as comfortable and as loving as possible.

Mami Odi was an incredibly strong, tenacious and hardworking woman. She was a warrior. Born on January 4th, 1954, she was the third oldest of 11 to her parents Juana Guevara and Mario Rodas Carrera. Her childhood wasn't easy, and she was often left to fend for herself in those early days. Mami Odi would begin to depend on her strength at 19, when she got married and left her home, equipped only with the resiliency and independence she had learned from her very young years. She escaped to Sonsonate, El Salvador to start living life on her own terms. Mami Odi would eventually have 3 children, which she is survived by to this day. Connie Aguilar-Alvarez, Ricardo Aguilar and Jessica Aguilar can all attest to the strength their mother had on a daily basis, often surmounting enormous obstacles, and constantly conquering the numerous and difficult challenges of Salvadorian life, particularly during the civil war the country suffered through during the early 80s.

Mami Odi wasn't always the most nurturing and loving with her words, but everyone knew that she loved her children more than anything. Without a doubt, the only thing more important to Mami Odi than her children were her grandchildren. Her capacity to love was indescribable. She was always working hard, coming up with new business ideas to help her elevate her family's life above the poverty they were all too familiar with. Mami Odi spent countless sleepless nights, slaving away in her kitchen, baking bread, cakes and other sweet treats, in hopes that she could collect enough money to send her children to the best schools she could afford. She wanted nothing more than to invest heavily in her children's success.

Her children would eventually find their way to the United States and, in poetic rhythm and rhyme, find themselves in a new place equipped only with their own resiliency and independence, skills and experiences which were mirrored and developed from all the hardships Mami Odi had survived through only a handful of years earlier. Despite all those challenges, Mami Odi was always giving, and she always went above and beyond in helping others. She vowed to be the stranger that provided assistance to those who needed it, in hopes that, should the day ever come that her own children needed help from a stranger, it would be provided for them.

Mami Odi never stopped being such a loving and caring force, for even at her worst, she always thought about how she could help those in need. Even as her health deteriorated and she lost her ability to walk or move, she was still offering help to countless people suffering with their own ailments. Mami Odi was, in many ways, a powerful pillar for those that knew her. She was a strong, silent type that by far made up in strength and wisdom for what she lacked in charisma.

All that pales in comparison with how much she loved her grandchildren. Mami Odi was so proud of them, and she loved them infinitely more than life itself. She shared so much wisdom with all of them, and always guided them with more love and care than she had ever shown anything before. She even made her own children jealous with all the love and attention she gave her grandchildren!

She always had faith in the Lord, and never questioned her role in God's big picture and plans. Despite all the difficult trials she had to overcome in her life, Mami Odi always believed in the divine and blessed word of the Lord. She never lost hope, she never gave up, and she always loved her family as best she could, in her own unique way. She will live on in our hearts, in our memories, and she will live forever in all the people she influenced while she was with us. We hope you rest in peace, mother, grandmother, sister and loving friend. May we someday meet again in Heaven, to hear her famous quote, as she loved to say, "Such a pretty little shit!"

Odila's family has given the family of Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home the privilege of caring for her and for them. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at the funeral home, 4715 Margaret Wallace Road, Matthews, NC 28105. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Wednesday, May 25, at St John Neuman Catholic Church. Committal to follow at Sunset Memory Gardens, 8901 Lawyers Road, Charlotte, NC 28227.