Gloria Soliz Aguirre, born October 19th 1950, passed away on the evening of January 15th 2026, at the age of 75. She was born and raised in Port Arthur TX, the daughter of Joseph Soliz Sr. and his wife Adela.
The second of five children, Gloria would go on to graduate from Thomas Jefferson HS and attend Lamar University to earn multiple degrees towards her career as an elementary school teacher. She worked 32 years for Taft Elementary, as the primary instructor for PE in grades Kindergarten-3rd.
While pursuing her dream of teaching young children, Gloria also started her own family, marrying her husband Daniel in 1976, together having two sons and settling down on the end of Maple Ave in Groves TX. April this year would have marked their 50th anniversary.
Her devotion to helping others extended to her church service as well, serving her parish of St. Peter the Apostle for more than 20 years as a mentor to Catholic youth.
In all her endeavors, Gloria was generous with her time and support, giving countless hours to maintain a clean and ordered home and provide where she could for family and friends. She enjoyed many evenings preparing brightly colored posters for her school gym, refining her lesson plans, and occasionally practicing her calligraphy. On weekends you could find her at the local little league baseball park, rooting for her kids and cousins. Gloria often delighted in the success of those she knew, never failing to express her pride and admiration for a job well done. She expected hard work and challenged us to do it, but was always in our corner. If we needed help or just a friendly ear to listen, there was a spot on her sofa and a whole evening to chat.
Gloria is preceded in death by her parents Joe Sr. and Adela, her brother Joe Jr, sister-in-law Theresia, and her son Justin. She is survived by her husband Daniel, her sister Mary, brothers Lee and Roy, son Ryan, grandsons Haydon and Ian, and great-grandchildren Marcy Jo and Art.
Her closest friends and family included Carmen, Roxanne, Terry, Peggy, Kevin, Carolyn and Stephanie. Her former students and fellow CYO members tally in the thousands.
Gloria was lucky enough to be part of a large extended family. She held a place in her heart for all of you, namely Kathleen, Steve, Michael, Renea, John, Eric, Kirsten, Amy, Richard, Kayla, Caleb, Ty, Darian, Reese, Kolton, Easton, Clara, and Liddy.
In recent months, as her illness worsened and daily life met real hardships, Gloria remained hopeful for her recovery. She did not resign herself to leaving us so soon, or give in to despair. We admire her strength, and her resilience, while not denying how much we already miss her. While we can no longer share any more of those endless talks, her lasting sentiment to each of us would be to have gratitude for our time together.
Today we remember her fondly, forgiving any faults, and we vow to follow the example she set for us: a life of service and a deep commitment to helping others before ourselves.
