Diana Perez

On the morning of August 23, 1957, a bouncing baby girl Diana Perez came into the world in Chicago Heights, Illinois. The young family of father Felipe Perez, mother Irenia Rosales Perez, and their twins Felipe Jr. and Irene Perez grew by one in a Catholic hospital. Although living in the Midwest to work in the fields, they considered themselves of the Rio Grande Valley and Texas, their true home.

Shortly after, the Perez's moved back to the Valley. Weslaco, Texas would be Diana's home for the rest of her life. She attended Weslaco public schools. The choir brought out the best in her as she attended the Southwest Choral Festival and even had the opportunity to go to The Juilliard School. After graduating from Weslaco High in 1975, she went to Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas, but during her freshman year, her family needed her home.

As for most Hispanics, family means everything, and this remained true for Diana her entire life. As a single mother, she struggled but never regretted the joy of having a son as a young adult. She always jokingly said George Strait was his dad because she adored George Strait and his music so much. Her son has her fighting spirit. She always looked forward to listening to him on the radio or on a podcast. She was proud that he graduated from college with highest honors and became a published author and historian.

Diana loved animals and always found cats or dogs to care for even when she barely had the strength and resources to care for herself. Later in life, a baby girl made her life complete. She is just as smart, musically inclined, caring, passionate, and sensitive, especially towards animals, as Diana.

Her many nieces and nephews could count on Diana as their babysitter, their second mom, and to give them an endless supply of advice and tough love, if needed.

If you did not find her reading a book, taking care of her mom after her dad passed away, going to bingo with her mom, her sister-in-law Susie and her best friend Irma Cantu, cooking family recipes she learned from her mom like enchiladas, turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving, fideo, pastas, arroz con pollo, calabaza y elote con pollo, stir fry, and all kinds of desserts, listening to an eclectic array of music like Barry White, the Beatles, Rocio Durcal, George Strait, Frankie Valli, Bee Gees, and so much more, going to church, or chatting on the phone with her baby sister Esther, her niece Andrea, and her few friends she counted as family, you would find her in Mexico with her soulmate Mario Alberto Bermudez.

In her 30s, Diana discovered she had a form of muscular dystrophy. It held her back from doing so many of the things she enjoyed, including dancing and working in the medical field, but it did not stop her from living life. When her son got married, she told her daughter-in-law, “No deposit. No returns.” They would laugh. Diana would always remark how her daughter-in-law did not ever argue with her or caused her any problems. Honestly, she loved her so much.

It helped that she gave her a granddaughter who looked so much like her. They played Guess Who and ate botanas together from Monterrey Café and chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert when they visited her in Weslaco. Diana could never tire of her granddaughter and was so proud of her and her accomplishments in school especially at the University of Texas at Austin.

After her grandson came around, she fought not to tire even in the face of her debilitating health. They loved playing Guess Who, Slap Jack, Connect Four, Go Fish, a small indoor soccer game, and Matching Game.

Her best friend’s daughter Monica Cantu cared for Diana. She gave so much of herself by taking her to her doctor’s appointments and shopping. Diana thought of her as a daughter.

It would seem fitting that God would take her home on February 14, 2025, Valentine's Day, a day she loved so much. Her remaining family hope the day will still bring them joy as they believe that is what she would have wanted.

Diana was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Teodoro V. Rosales and Elvira Lopez, paternal grandparents Ambrosia Garza Perez and Rosendo Perez, father Felipe Perez, mother Irenia (Rosales) Perez, sister Irene (Perez) Hernandez, brothers Rosendo Perez and Francisco "Frankie" Perez, and sisters-in-law Jesusita "Susie" (Martinez) Perez and Melissa (Flores) Perez.

Left to cherish Diana’s memory are her son Roman R. Perez (Rocio), daughter Kimberly Rosario Bermudez-Perez, granddaughter Dana Perez and grandson Daniel Perez, brother Felipe Perez, Jr. and sister Esther (Perez) Recio (Victor III), nieces and nephews Veronica Hernandez, Michelle (Perez) Malone (Matthew), Esmael Hernandez, Jr., Andrea Perez, Cassandra Gonzalez (Carlos), Priscilla Perez, Lucy Jeannette (Gonzales) Gonzales (Eliseo III), many grand nieces and nephews, her best friend Irma Cantu and daughter Monica Cantu, and Diana’s soulmate Mario Alberto Bermudez.

Her family has entrusted her funeral services to Funeraria Del Angel - Highland Funeral Home and funeral director Jeffrey Pitts, Diana’s high school classmate.

Private visitation will begin at 2:00 PM on February 21, 2025 with public visitation from 3:00 PM

to 10:00 PM. The recitation of the Holy Rosary will be at 7:00 PM. A Saturday viewing will begin at 8:00 AM on February 22, 2025. A Funeral Mass on the same day will be said by Father Francisco Solis at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Weslaco, Texas at 10:00 AM. Burial and committal of her mortal remains will follow at Buena Vista Memorial Park in Brownsville, Texas at 1:00 PM.

Kimberly Bermudez-Perez, Chris Ogden, Esmael Hernandez, Jr., Marcus Gaytan, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Margarito Gonzalez, Eliseo Gonzales, Nehemiah Gonzales will serve as pallbearers.