Litzi Botello Net Worth & What happened to her after Port Protection?

Litzi Botello — a beloved, one-armed resident of Port Protection, Alaska featured on National Geographic’s Port Protection — died June 25, 2021 (reported from ovarian cancer); both of her sons predeceased her in separate tragic incidents, and details about how she lost her arm and her net worth remain private or unverified in public records.

Who was Litzi Botello?

Cecilia “Litzi” Jovita Botello (born November 22, 1958, in Norwalk, California) became known to wider audiences after appearing in the National Geographic reality series Port Protection, a show that documented life in a tiny, remote Alaskan community on Prince of Wales Island. She was described by friends and local press as an artist (working with polymer clay), a longtime island resident, and a warm, independent personality who formed close bonds with several fellow residents.

What happened to Litzi on Port Protection / how did she die?

• Death & cause: Multiple obituaries and trusted entertainment write-ups report that Litzi Botello died on June 25, 2021 in Port Protection, Alaska, and that the cause of death was ovarian cancer. This detail appears in local obituary records and was repeated by entertainment outlets covering the Port Protection cast.
• Public reaction: Fans and castmates responded with grief online; her passing was noted alongside the loss of other members of the Port Protection / Life Below Zero community.

What happened to Litzi Botello sons?

• Both sons predeceased her. Reporting repeated across multiple entertainment news pages says Litzi had two sons (often named in articles as Johnny Botello and Leland Dean or similar variants), and that both died before she did.
• Circumstances frequently reported: At least one son (reported as Johnny) is said in multiple articles to have died in a head-on collision with a logging truck while driving on Prince of Wales Island (reports place that crash around 2015). However, primary local news access (some local newspaper pages are blocked by robots.txt) would be the best place to verify granular accident details; the secondary entertainment sites repeat that account. Because some local site pages cannot be directly accessed from general indexing, readers should treat the exact names/dates reported on secondary sites as supported but not primary-source-verified here.

How did Litzi Botello lose her arm?

• Short answer: No authoritative, detailed public record explains exactly how Litzi lost her arm. She was widely known on the show and in write-ups as “one-armed” or “the one-armed Mexican,” and many articles say she lost a limb “in an accident,” but they do not provide primary documentation, dates, or medical details. Litzi herself rarely discussed the specifics on camera.
• What coverage says: Entertainment summaries (TVOvermind, Distractify and others) repeat that she lost an arm and that she preferred not to dwell publicly on the details; those outlets emphasize her resilience and how she adapted to life and work as an artist and island resident. Because the source material is largely interviews and program footage rather than medical records, the public accounts remain anecdotal.

Litzi Botello net worth — what’s known (and what isn’t)

• No reliable public net-worth figure. I found no verifiable financial disclosures, tax records, or reputable reporting that lists a confirmed net worth for Litzi Botello. Most pages that list a number are aggregator or biography-style sites (Pinterest pins, “popularbio” style pages) that compile unverified data and should be treated as speculative. When researching individuals who are not widely commercial or celebrity-branded, these aggregator numbers are unreliable.
• Why there’s no figure: Litzi was a small-town resident and a cast member on a niche documentary/reality show — that alone does not produce public statements about assets. Unless estate records, probate filings, or a family spokesperson releases financial information, any numeric “net worth” is guesswork.

Recommendation for readers: Treat any net-worth claims about Litzi on tabloids or aggregator pages as unverified. If you need an exact figure for legal or reporting purposes, the correct path is to consult court/probate records for her estate (local Alaska filings) or an official family statement. (Note: some local newspaper obituaries and community posts discuss family but do not include asset information.)

Connecting the dots — timeline & verified facts

1. Born: November 22, 1958 (Norwalk, California).
2. Moved / lived: Longtime resident of Port Protection area on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska — involved in community life and artistic pursuits (polymer clay work).
3. TV exposure: Appeared on National Geographic’s Port Protection, which introduced her to a national audience.
4. Family tragedies: Both of her sons predeceased her (reported in entertainment coverage; at least one son reported killed in a collision with a logging truck).
5. Death: Died June 25, 2021 in Port Protection; cause publicly reported as ovarian cancer in obituary notices and cast-coverage pieces.

This sequence is what most reputable entertainment and local-obituary sources report; where a local primary news page is inaccessible, I cite secondary sources that in turn reference local notices.

Common inaccuracies & rumors (mythbusting)

• “She died on camera / on the show” — False. Her death occurred after she had been featured on the show; it was reported to the public via obituary and later covered by entertainment outlets.
• “She lost her arm in a dramatic on-screen accident” — Unconfirmed. Public sources say she lost an arm in an accident at some earlier point in life, but those sources lack medical or press records detailing the event. Litzi generally did not publicly narrate the specific incident.
• “Her net worth is $X (specific dollar)” — Unverified. Aggregator pages sometimes list figures, but no primary financial documents or reputable business reporting support any particular number. 

FAQs

When did Litzi Botello die?

She died on June 25, 2021 in Port Protection, Alaska; her death was publicly reported with ovarian cancer listed as the cause.

How did Litzi Botello lose her arm?

Public sources say she lost an arm in an accident, but no authoritative public record provides details; she rarely spoke about the incident on camera.

What happened to her sons?

Reporting indicates both of her sons predeceased her; at least one son is reported to have died in a vehicle collision involving a logging truck. Exact details are repeated in secondary coverage; for primary confirmation check local Alaska news archives or court records.

What was Litzi Botello net worth?

There is no reliable public record or reputable source that lists a verified net-worth figure for Litzi Botello. Numbers on aggregator sites are unverified. 

Conclusion

Litzi Botello remains one of the most quietly powerful figures ever featured on Port Protection. Her story was not defined by fame or wealth, but by resilience, self-reliance, and survival in one of the harshest environments in North America. Living with the loss of an arm, enduring the heartbreaking deaths of both of her sons, and later battling ovarian cancer, Litzi faced extraordinary hardship away from the cameras while continuing to live with dignity and strength.

What is verifiably known paints a clear picture: Litzi Botello died on June 25, 2021, in Port Protection, Alaska, and her passing deeply affected both the local community and fans of the show. Much of her personal life — including the exact circumstances of how she lost her arm and any confirmed net worth — was intentionally kept private, and there is no credible public documentation to support many of the rumors found online.

Ultimately, Litzi Botello’s legacy is not measured in money or television appearances, but in the lasting impression she left on those who watched her and those who knew her personally. She is remembered as a symbol of perseverance, independence, and quiet courage — a woman who lived life on her own terms until the very end.