Maria was born on the 1st of August 1938 in Sicily. She was 1 of 10 sisters.
Maria travelled by train to England in 1961 when she was only 23 due to shortage of work in her home country. She then started work at Black Notley Hospital as a maid in 1961. Throughout her working life she also worked as a cleaner at Crittals Windows and a housemaid at St Michaels Hospital.
She met her husband Rex Butler in 1962 and they married on March the 30th 1963 and spent 55 years together before Maria passed away.
Maria and Rex had two children the first, Gloria who was born in 1964 and the second Geoff who was born in 1967. She then went on to have 4 grandchildren, Gary, Louise, Jake and Zoey.