Azua Echevarria Obituary (1969

Azua Echevarria October 24, 1969 — May 15, 2026 Artist. Healer. Mother. Spirit. In Her Own Words Words alone are not enough to describe our beloved Azua, for she was spirit energy and light. And so it only seems right to begin her legacy with words from Azua herself — to read how she described who she was, in the fullness of her own voice. "A new transplant to New Mexico from the east coast, Azua Echevarria is experiencing the ebbs and flows of her midlife journey. A creative at heart, Azua is a proud mother of two adult children, Mina, 30, who resides in California, and Elias, 24, who lives in Connecticut." "As a former professional makeup artist for over 32 years, Azua transitioned into the healing arts, spinning her focus towards mind, body, spirit wellness in 2013 as a Reiki practitioner. At that time she created a movement and line of spirit care oils called Age Into Beauty, which were inspired by her own experience of healing from her mother's unexpected death in 2008. There have been many explorations of self since then that have shaped who she is today." "As of now Azua is shifting through the change of experiencing life off-grid with her partner Toni Johnson of ten years. They envision creating space on their land for fellow artists and creatives to commune with nature, rewild, and cultivate spiritual nourishment in order for art practices to remain sustainable. Decolonizing green spaces remains a continual focus for Azua." "The color green has enchanted me since childhood and has been a consistent thread throughout my evolution. Today I have a newfound relationship with green in my current daily experience of living off-grid in northern New Mexico. Green plays a crucial role in my life. My Reiki practice further opened my mind and awareness of color therapy via the Chakra system. Lately I am exploring the concept of decolonizing green spaces with a mindset of rewilding and accessing Ancestral connection." "Expression of creativity and personal style is a common thread in Azua's life, and she innerstands the importance of accurately depicting a character's essence through hair, makeup, and wardrobe." What We Know to Be True About Beloved Azua There aren't words, not really. Nothing any of us can reach for that will make sense of this. There aren't words — just texture, and memories that won't ever properly articulate how she loved. How she moved. How she made you feel like the most seen person in the room. She was a star. Dressed up like Really Rosie. A feather boa. Playing dress-up, dancing, makeup — these were never costumes. They were just ways for her to be exactly what she wanted to be. She knew that from the beginning. She always knew. We drop down and stop because when we go down there we remember her — legs bursting up through the water at a synchronized swim meet. Sparkles and glitter. Not another costume. Just one more way to say: I am here. Look at me. This is me. She could disarm you with a single line. You'd be standing there worrying over something small and she'd cut right through it. 'Don't worry about making them perfect,' she'd say. 'Remember — they don't have to be identical twins. They can be cousins.' Whether it was her talking about eyebrows or clothing or aligning spirit. That was Azua. Precision and play in the same breath. Beauty as a practice of self-knowing. She innerstood — her word, and the right one — that to depict someone's essence accurately was a sacred act. She lived that. She gave that to everyone she touched. Azua Echevarria was born on October 24, 1969 — a Hartford, Connecticut original, rooted in a family whose love ran wide and deep. She was the beloved daughter of Courtney Van Ward Gardner, granddaughter of Blanche Lane Ward and Roosevelt Ward, and niece of Kendra Quinn Ward, Roda Ward Carter and Deatrice Darnette Ward Mays. Though she had no siblings, Azua was never without family. Her cousins and aunts were her siblings in every way that mattered — present, close, woven into the fabric of who she was. Her mother's unexpected passing in 2008 cracked something open in her. Out of that grief she found healing — and then she made it her life's work to offer that healing to others. She became a Reiki practitioner in 2013 and created Age into Beauty, a line of spirit care oils born from her own journey back to herself. She wrote and directed Universal Womb, an immersive theatrical piece based on her mother Courtney's life. She put her mother's story on a stage. She refused to let her disappear. In her final years Azua was living her most expansive life — off-grid in northern New Mexico with her partner and love of ten years, Toni. She was rewilding. Decolonizing. Listening to the land. She had a vision: to create space for fellow artists and creatives to commune, to nourish themselves, to sustain their practices. She was building something. She was always building something. Now we search. We listen for the whisper of her letting us know that she made it — made it to freedom. Azua is survived by her children Mina and Elias, her partner Toni Johnson, and the wide, beautiful family — by lineage and chosen — who loved her without conditions. Azua is preceded in death by her mother, Courtney Van Ward Gardner, her Grandmother Blanche Lane Ward, her grandfather Roosevelt Ward whose spirit she carried everywhere she went. “Universe, show me how good it gets to be” - Azua May she rest in the decolonized green spaces she loved. May her light continue to move through everyone she touched. — Her family In Honor of Azua In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to the community fund established in Azua's memory to support Toni and the family through this transition. Information about Azua’s Memorial Service is forthcoming. Please support the below gofundme Links. https://gofund.me/361f93399 https://gofund.me/6dd3f23a2