Maria N Prats

Born in Havana, Cuba, on December 4, 1929, Maria emigrated to Texas with her parents and brothers on Thanksgiving Day of 1939. She attended Incarnate Word Academy, and after graduating from the University of St. Thomas (1953) taught in the Houston public schools for many years. She obtained a Master of Education degree from the University of Houston in 1969.

Maria loved her family and friends, her church, her garden, and her dogs. She enjoyed her life experience, being a companion and caregiver to her mother, and attending numerous family events and trips in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Spain. Maria cooked a great Cuban rice pudding and enjoyed a glass of wine. A deeply caring person, she lent an ear to many, shared her house with friends and family and worked to alleviate hunger in her community by collecting and donating food to those in need. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and prayers groups at St. Vincent de Paul Parish. She was an inveterate recycler – nothing was wasted unnecessarily. Through her frugality, she was able to endow a scholarship at the University of St. Thomas in memory of her mother.

Left to cherish her memory are: brother Michael Prats and his wife, Mary; nieces and nephews Delicia Thayer, Barbara Neely (Roger), Teresa Dodson, Steven Prats (Teri), Anthony Prats, Stuart Prats (Jennie), Suzanne Prats, Yvonne Prats (Chris Chimelak ), and Elliott Prats; brother Miguel Prats; brother Robert Prats and his wife, Molly; great-nieces Lauren Peterson and Mary Dodson and other relations. Maria was predeceased by her parents, Miguel Prats and Maria Carbo Prats, and brother Fred Prats.

If you would like to do something for Maria, she would want you to do something kind for someone. The family requests that expressions of sympathy be made to a charity of choice or to the University of St. Thomas, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, a local food bank or a no-kill animal shelter.