Thank you all for coming to pay respect to our mom, Barbara Alvarez. It means so much to us that you are here. It is the greatest irony that when we are born we are destined to die. Mom’s life journey on Earth came to an end at the age of 93 on Wednesday November 10, 2021.
We gather here today to celebrate her life and her faith. She was born on or about August 6-7, 1928 to Mabel and Theophile Dumesnil. She had two older sisters, Shirley Wolford and Miriam Deslatte who died before her. Barbara was a lifelong devout Catholic and lived her life by the teachings of the Catholic Church. As a child she was a member of St. Mary’s parish in Port Arthur where she was baptized, received her first communion and confirmation, and was married to her husband, Angelo Alvarez. She is survived by three children, Richard Alvarez and wife Kathy, Michael Alvarez and wife Tracy, and Susan Johnson; five grandchildren, Jamie Benton and husband Nick, Emily Alvarez, Madison Alvarez, Samantha Alvarez, Juliana Alvarez; and great granddaughter, Max Benton.
Barbara and Angelo Alvarez met after dad’s service in WWII. They married in 1948 and lived in Jefferson County their entire lives. After marriage they lived in Port Arthur and later moved to Groves into a new home on Lawndale Avenue. In their early marriage they traveled the state with dad playing exhibition baseball and attending football games. They lived the classic 50’s small town life with Angelo working at Texaco and Barbara raising the kids. They joined Immaculate Conception Parish in Groves. The family was active in the church and the children attended the Catholic school there. Later they moved to Port Neches and Barbara went to work at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office. After Angelo died in 1988, Mom moved back to Groves and became a member of St. Catherine’s in Port Arthur where she joined her sister Shirley as active members of the Altar Society. In 2017, after hurricane Harvey, Mom moved to Dallas and lived at Treemont Assisted Living, to be near to her children. She attended St. Rita’s as her health allowed. In 2020 she moved to Presbyterian Village North Assisted Living where she lived until her death. We are grateful to all the staff for the care she received at Treemont and PVN and to Deacon Tim Vineyard for his frequent visits with Mom at PVN.
Mom went by Barbara, Babs, Babee, Mom and Memaw. She had many friends in her life, most having passed before her. She loved everyone in her family and enjoyed gathering with them through the years. She loved to travel, especially back to her family roots in south Louisiana. She was known for her cooking, especially Southern meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all enjoyed family gatherings at Gilchrest and Bolivar beaches during the summer eating fresh seafood washed down with beer and margaritas. In 1998 we took mom to Paris and southern France to celebrate her 70thbirthday. She will be buried with her rosary, prayer book and the Louis Vuitton purse she purchased on the Champs-Elysee in Paris. In 2018 we took her to New Orleans to celebrate her 90thbirthday. We toured, we drank, we laughed and we ate at her favorite restaurant, Galatoire’s. She rolled down Bourbon Street with her walker determined to make a concert at Preservation Hall! Like all Dumesnil girls, mom could be hard headed and she held strong opinions about how life should be lived and money matters were not her strong suit. But she was a good, gentle and honest person and a wonderful loving mother to her family. Mom had a long and very healthy life. She did not exercise and apparently a nightly scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream for several decades is good for you.
Mom ran into a streak of bad health in 2021. She had overcome strokes and leukemia in the past, but a fractured hip, breakthrough Covid-19, and sepsis, took a toll on her. Despite her determination to live, these challenges overcame her. She lived a full life to age 93 and we all are grateful to God for having her in our lives for so long. She made life better, loving, delicious and complete. We pray she is where her faith guided her, in the presence of God and family, and free from pain. Amen
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.grammier-oberle.com for the Alvarez family.
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