Raquel Lucia Alvarez

Raquel Lucia Alvarez went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, December 18, 2020, at the age of 80. She passed on her 60th Wedding Anniversary to her beloved husband, Orlando De La Caridad Alvarez.

Raquel was born in Santo Domingo, Cuba on March 2, 1940, to Marta and Ramiro Gonzalez.

Raquel, or “Mima” as she was called by her two sons, Roberto and Orlando Alvarez, was devoted to her family. Raquel and Orlando left Cuba in 1967 to escape the turmoil and upheaval of a communist regime takeover in hope of a better life for Roberto and Orlando, who at the time were ages 6 and 3, respectively. It is difficult to imagine for most people how frightening it must have been to arrive in a new country with a young family, a language barrier, and literally with only the suitcases full of clothes and whatever money was permitted to bring over.

After arriving in White Plains, New York, she started cleaning office buildings before working her way into a Proof Operator role at a local bank.

After spending 8 years in New York, Raquel and Orlando decided to take one more step forward and moved the family to Houston, Texas in 1975. She immediately took a role at American Bank in downtown Houston as a Proof Operator, a skill she continued to hone for over 20 years, before her retirement in 2010. If you asked her co-workers, they would tell you that her smile and generosity was contagious.

She was devoted to the Lord and lived her life with humility and a caring heart for everyone, a value she instilled every day in her two sons.

Raquel is predeceased by her mother, Marta Gonzalez, her father, Ramiro Gonzalez, and her sister Margarita Leon.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Orlando C. Alvarez; her two sons, Roberto Alvarez, Orlando A. Alvarez and his wife Kari; her four grandchildren, Alexis, Brandon, Justin, and Brady; and many nieces and nephews whom she loved like her own.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family on December 30, 2020, at 1:00 pm at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas. The Rosary Service will be held at 1:30 pm, followed by the Funeral Service at 2 pm. The Committal Service will begin at 3 pm. For those unable to attend in person, the Rosary and Funeral Service will be streamed live on Facebook using the links below.

Donations in Raquel Lucia Alvarez’s memory can be made to The Houston Area Parkinson Society or The Texas Health Resources Foundation (COVID – 19 Relief) – SEE BELOW LINKS.