Marco Zepeda died early Saturday after he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer last year.

PHOENIX — A well-known Phoenix street vendor who was blind, has passed away after a battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Marco Zepeda died early Saturday morning after being diagnosed last year. His ex-wife says it’s a huge loss for the family.

“He was just very outgoing,” Adelina Zepeda said. “He was strong, very inspiring, inspired everyone. Laughed all the time.”

Diagnosed at 2-years-old with Retinoblastoma, he never let it stop him from doing what he loved.

“It’s a rare childhood Cancer,” Adelina said. “In Mexico, they didn’t know what to do so they removed his eyes and gave him radiation.”

One thing he loved, she says, was immersing himself in the community. He was usually seen near 75th Avenue and Indian School, determined to provide for his family, including his five kids.

“Sold mops and brooms,” Adelina said. “Dust pans, they were made in Mexico and he’d bring them to the community and they loved it.”

Despite his positive outlook on life, there have been a few challenges. In 2018, he was pushed to the ground inside a gas station restroom by a Phoenix Police Officer. The officer claimed Zepeda got too close to him while standing at a urinal. However, Zepeda says that’s not entirely what happened. Zepeda was never charged and in 2020, he received a $45,000 payment from the city.

“That was also a very hard situation,” Adelina said.

She said it was incredibly scary for him and for his daughter, who was with him at the time of the incident.

“I remember the community really pouring out for him,” she said. “Standing up for him.”

In February, more hardship. Marco was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer and given about a year and a half to live.

“I knew in the beginning he was so afraid,” Adelina said. “He said I don’t want to die and I want to be here with the kids. So he fought as much as he could.”

He fought, all while doing what he loved, selling brooms and other items to the community. Adelina says he did that up until a few weeks before he passed.

“It’s very hard,” she said. “The kids are taking it day-by-day.”

The love from the community has brought comfort as they grieve. His family is just hoping he’ll be remembered not for how he died, but for how he lived.

“He was awesome,” she said. “An awesome father, person in general. He did what he could do for all of us, hope they’ll remember him as a strong outgoing person and how he was so positive about life.”

The family is trying to fulfill Marco’s wish of being buried next to his family in Mexico. A fundraising website has been established to help the family raise funds for it. You can help by going here.


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