Maria Perez

Maria Perez, 60, of Lehigh Acres died Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, at Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers after a sudden illness.

She was born in Tlaqualilo, Mexico, and moved to Lehigh in 1965 with her husband, Oscar Perez. They owned and operated the Lehigh Acres Flea Market on Homestead Rd., next to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for four decades.

Perez was known by many as the woman who sold fresh produce at the entrance to the flea market.

When she came to Lehigh, she could speak no English, but said in recent years that she learned the language from the many customers who came on a regular basis to buy produce.

Her husband would purchase produce from the farmers in Immokalee and promised their customers that it was always fresh.

In addition to her husband, Oscar, she is survived by five children, Oscar Perez of LaBelle; Nancy, Diliah, Pedro Perez, and Ezekiel Perez, all of Lehigh. Also surviving are nine grandchildren.

Services were held Monday, Sept. 27 at the Anderson Funeral Home in Lehigh.

Following the services she was cremated and her ashes will be scattered in her orchid garden, known to many as one of most beautiful flower gardens in the community. Her husband said her flower garden was her love. She sold produce from the flea market since 1970.