Maria Hernandez, left, is consoled by friend Sintia Marquez, of San Jose, during a funeral for her mother Maria Marcelo at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in San Jose on Dec. 16th. Marcelo was hit and killed by a driver on Dec. 7. Her death marked the 61st traffic fatality in San Jose’s roadways this year. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE — On a cool evening in mid-December, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was packed with community members, including some of the highest-ranking officials in the city, to remember Maria Marcelo.
Marcelo was a transformative leader in San Jose, who