Anna Ortiz

Anna Marie Ortiz, of Gulfport, MS, passed away on Wednesday, February 9th, 2022, in Memorial Hospital, where she was born.  She finally gained her special angel wings on this date, at 27 years of age and after 27 years of immense physical, mental and emotional pain and suffering from disease and disability.  In honor of the amazingly caring, beautiful spirit that she always was and her lifelong cancer battle, donations may be made to either St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105, or to the Animal Protection and Education Association - 13481 Seaman Road Vancleave, MS 39565.  Flowers, while donations are encouraged, will certainly also be accepted.  Riemann Family Funeral Home will gladly be entrusted with the arrangements.

A celebration of life service will be held at 3 P.M. Saturday, February 12th, at Biloxi VA Cemetery.

Anna Marie Ortiz was born in Gulfport, MS on June 13th, 1994, to Lisa Diane Ortiz, and to the late Adam Joseph Ortiz.  She was an unusually uncompromised, beautiful spirit that does not come into the world often, and in countless ways - with equally unusual, meaningful higher purposes along with her lifetime of great sickness and suffering.  When Anna was just 18 months - old, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and at the early age of just 5 years, she would go on to relapse with the same cancer.  Even further and at the still tender age of 7 years, she sadly suffered from crippling heart and lung failure, forcing her into an ICU unit for nearly one month.  Her unbelievable suffering would unfortunately extend many, many years beyond this time, to include a 3rd acute leukemia bout; a 4th stage 4 cancer relapse after having had a bone marrow transplant, and the return of stage 4 cancer a 5th time.  All of this led ultimately to an eventual passing at Memorial Hospital, with additional covid and pneumonia, in our mother's arms.  Anna's entire life of extreme, disabling pain and her remarkable ability to withstand and survive it, was also a true testament to her inspiring faith and strength.  It was also far from all that she truly was.  She attended school throughout most of her lifetime, through a high school graduation.  She also nearly achieved an associate degree in college, where she quickly made friends with many people.  She loved art and cartoon drawing, music and singing, as well as animals and helping others.

Anna Marie was an extremely kind, thoughtful person to everyone she knew and encountered, and she was also even sweeter.  Her sense of humor was unmatched, and she could easily make everyone around her laugh, more often than not, with at least one hilarious joke to share with others around her.  Her continuous, enormous smile always emanated the incredible, genuine and radiant light that she truly was.  A loyal, honest friend to all and a beacon of amazing, unbeatable faith, she was too pure for a world, now darker without her in it.  She will forever live on in our memories of her, and in our hearts.  Anna Marie, will surely, always be dearly missed by this world, and by all who loved and knew her.

Anna is preceded in passing by her father, Adam Joseph Ortiz; by her grandfathers, James Harmon and Robbie Roberson; by her great grandmother and great grandfather, Jackie and Pat Herrera; by her uncles, Kirk Abshire and Oni Ortiz, and by her nephew, Tyler Ortiz.

Anna Marie is survived by her mother, Lisa Diane Ortiz; by her grandmother, Sandra Roberson; by her two sisters, Sandee Ellen Howell and Margo Goodwin, and by her brothers, Mark and Daniel Ortiz; by her aunts, Melanie Abshire and Omega; her uncles, Jimmy Harmon and Arthur Ortiz; her aunt Donna Harmon, along with her aunt Melanie and aunt Omega; and by many cousins, Robbie and Lacie Abshire, Ashley, Margaret and Jamie, along with Mercy Grace and Sandra Abshire.