Ana Maria DeVilliers

Dr. Ana DeVilliers Gutierrez, age 56, Modesto resident for 22 years, succumbed to illness after a battle with cancer on Sunday, September 1st, at 5:25pm in her home surrounded by her children, family and friends in love, hymns and prayer.

She was widowed and preceded in death by her devoted husband of 27 years, Roberto Gutierrez and is survived by her children, Maria Pia Lourdes Gutierrez, age 18 and Franco Roberto Gutierrez, age 16, and her mother, Maria DeVilliers, and siblings, Henry DeVilliers, Jr., Dr. Diana DeVilliers Rozansky (husband David Rozansky) and Angelique DeVilliers Falzon (husband Gerard Falzon.) She is preceded in death by her father, Henry Livingstone DeVilliers.

Dr. DeVilliers was born in Fusagasuga, Colombia. She earned a medical degree from the University of New Mexico in 1989, completed an internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a residency in neurosurgery at SUNY-Buffalo, becoming a Neurosurgeon in 1997. She became a neurosurgeon when there were 68 female neurosurgeons in the U.S. She worked for Memorial Medical Center until 2013 and was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church since 1997.

Ana was most passionate about her children who she homeschooled until she became too ill. She was known for her love of learning and intelligence, hospitality and joy of entertaining as well as generosity to everyone. Her devotion to Catholicism and her beautiful faith in God were an inspiration to all, especially during her two and a half years of illness. She never doubted God's perfect and Holy will whatever the outcome.

There will be a viewing from 4pm to 7pm and a rosary at 7pm on Monday, September 9th at Franklin & Downs Funeral Home and a funeral mass on Tuesday, September 10th at 10am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Interment will follow immediately at St. Stanislaus cemetery, Modesto, California and a reception at the Fr. O'Hare Hall, St. Joseph's Catholic Church immediately to follow the interment.

The family would like to thank the medical and nursing staff at Henry Mayo Hospital, Valencia, CA, UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, and Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles CA, who provided essential care to Ana. A special thanks to Michael McDermott, MD, neurosurgeon, from UCSF who performed life saving neurosurgery twice and Andrew Hendifar, MD, oncologist, Cedars Sinai, who followed Ana’s care and was always kind, compassionate and loving to her and our family.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you make donations to the Modesto Pregnancy Center, www.modestopregnancycenter.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.