Maria Teresa Ruiz-Fornells de Herlebaus

Maria Teresa Ruiz-Fornells de Hurlebaus, age 95, passed away at her home in Stone Mountain, GA on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

She was born on October 27,1927 in Madrid, Spain to Teresa Silverde and Camilo Ruiz-Fornells. Following the end of the Spanish Civil war in 1939, and the death of her mother in 1940, Maria Teresa spent her teenage years in Spanish Morocco, while her father, an officer in the Spanish army, was stationed in Tetouan.

She received her nursing degree from the Facultad de Medicina de Cadiz in 1947.

She married John F. Hurlebaus, of Clearwater, FL , at La Iglesia de San Jose, in Madrid, on December 17, 1956.Their first child, Maria Teresa, was born in 1958. A second child, John Frederick, was born in 1961.

The family moved to the United States in August of 1961, residing in Gainesville, FL until relocating to Chattanooga, TN in 1963, where John worked for TVA and their third child, Anna Elizabeth, was born. John’s jobs transferred the family to Knoxville in 1964 (TVA), Washington, DC in 1969 (World Bank) and finally Atlanta in 1971 (EPA). The family settled in Stone Mountain, where John and Maria Teresa resided until their passing.

Maria Teresa (Mary) served for many years as a volunteer at DeKalb Medical Center, where she was often called upon as an interpreter for Spanish speaking patients. She is remembered for her lifelong dedication to her family, her years of service as a volunteer, her love of crafts and the many friends she made throughout her life in all the places she called home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John, her brothers, Enrique Ruiz-Fornells Silverde of Tuscaloosa and Jose Antonio Ruiz-Fornells Silverde of Madrid and her son-in-law, Jeffrey D.Chelette of Brunswick. She is survived by her children, Maria Teresa Chelette of Knoxville, John (Lori) Hurlebaus of Statesboro, Anna Hurlebaus (and spouse David Allison) of Atlanta, 6 grandchildren, Sarah Zarczynski (Adrian), J. Daniel Chelette (and spouse Stacy Smrz), Caleb Hurlebaus, and Candace, Elena and Clara Allison and one great granddaughter, Cecilia Ann Chelette.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 29th at 10:00 am at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Stone Mountain.