Hilda 'Gurl 1' Villalobos

Hilda Villalobos, known as Jeana to her loved ones, was a proud patriot and lover of everything red, white and blue. A lifelong Texan born in Abilene, she was a graduate of Abilene High School where she played the clarinet in the Mighty Eagle Band. After Graduating Hardin Simmons University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, she began her long career as a Texas State Parole officer and spread her wings across Texas from the Pan Handle down to East Texas. She lived in Pampa, Amarillo for a number of years, and later moved to Quitman, Texas, where she retired from the State where she faithfully devoted over a decade of her life.

Throughout her life, Jeana was often seen with her most loyal little companions glued by her side or sitting comfortably on her lap— her last pup being Abigale (Abby), her devoted mini-schnauzer poodle who will help to carry on Jeana’s memory for the family.

Of her many wonderful and vibrant traits, Jeana’s strongest and most defining qualities were her amazing sense of humor, loving and playful nature, joyful laugh, and her genuine spirit that made everyone happy and laugh with her. It is this love and humor that her closest friends and family will miss the most about her.

Though she fought her own health issues in latter years, as the eldest of seven siblings, Jeana was the primary caretaker of her mother, Susie Villalobos, until Susie’s passing in 2020. Jeana then inherited the role of matriarch of the family and courageously made concerted efforts to improve her health and mobility with the loving assistance and support of her younger siblings, who were there for her every step of the way until the very end.

She loved all her many nieces and nephews (and grand-nieces and -nephews) dearly and greeted them with warm, wide-open arms at every Christmas and family event in the Dallas area where she spent much of her time after retirement, close to her siblings and family.

Hilda Villalobos (Jeana, Jean, “Jean-the-Bean,” “Gus”) had a love for music and was gifted with a powerful and beautiful singing voice that she inherited from her late father Oscar (“Papa”). Her siblings can recall her often singing melodic and playful duets with her father in her childhood home, while he accompanied the notes with his gift for the guitar. She often, especially in her prime, could be heard singing her favorite Tejano oldies at family functions.

She had unrelenting optimism and compassion for others and was a genuine joy to be around, making everyone laugh, and, time and again, allowing her to befriend everyone she met. And most notably, to Jeana, family came first and was everything— always.

As she joins her beloved mom and dad in heaven, she is survived by her six siblings: Mary Villalobos, Oscar Jr. Villalobos, Barney Villalobos, Susan Villalobos, Jessica Villalobos, and Jacob Villalobos. She also leaves behind nephews and nieces who were blessed to be part of her life. She will be greatly missed, and dearly remembered.

A rosary & visitation for Hilda "Gurl #1" will be held Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 Highway 277 South, Abilene, Texas 79606. A graveside service will occur Monday, September 9, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories next to her mother.