Margarita Santillan de Perea

Margarita Santillan de Perea, 61, of El Paso, Texas passed away November 3rd, 2020. She will be laid to rest on November 16th at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery at 11:00am with limited visitation to take place beforehand at Hillcrest Funeral home.

Margarita was born in Juarez, Mexico to Guadalupe and Julia Santillan on September 24, 1959. At age 13, she had already started working and eventually moved to El Paso, Texas where she lived the remainder of her life. She married Rolando Perea and gave birth to three children during their 43 years of marriage.

Margarita joins her mother, father, late son, and many other family members and friends who are previously deceased. She is survived by her husband and two living sons, Rolando Jr. (Kerry) and Johnny (Elisa) of El Paso, Texas as well as four grandchildren, Elena (5), Diego (3), Alex (3) and Camila (1). She is also survived by brothers and sisters.

Margarita worked at Toro company for over 25 years and was a loyal employee and coworker to many of her friends.

For 43 years, Margarita loved and cared for her husband. Margarita and Rolando shared a life of both trials and great joys. Margarita was devoted to her husband until the last moments they shared in the beautiful home they made.

Our mother taught us many lessons in life. She was a hard worker, kind, and had the biggest heart. Her generosity knew no bounds. She wanted to help anyone that needed it, always giving to people less fortunate. Even when times were toughest and money was the most scarce, she recognized that she had more than many others. Our mother was resourceful, smart and faithful. She stretched every dollar to provide us with all we needed and even many family trips to Disneyland. January of 2019 was our last family trip to Disneyland, one with her grandchildren. One of the best ways our mother showed love was through her cooking. She made everything from scratch and made it look effortless. To eat her cooking was to feel her love. She loved to host, entertain and celebrate her family and friends. She was a great abuela and loved her four grandchildren with all her heart. She had a unique relationship with each one of us and made us feel so special to be around her.

Our mother had wonderful friendships. She enjoyed going to Las Vegas, eating at restaurants and visiting the casino with her friends. She was a devout Catholic, relentless in her faith in even the most difficult times. Her story is the American dream. She came to this country with nothing, had a career, raised two college educated sons and became a homeowner. She will be forever missed but never forgotten! Adios mama y te queremos!

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Hillcrest Funeral Home 1060 N. Carolina Dr. (915)598-3332.