Rosa Maria "Ela" Zevallos

Rosa María "Ela" Zevallos, our beloved “Ela”, was born Rosa María García Avila on September 19, 1951, in Monterrey, Mexico, the fifth of sixteen children. From an early age, Rosa’s life was marked by love, strength, and devotion to family. She grew up in Mexico and graduated from the Business Administration School at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. She later moved to Texas, where she became the loving mother of three children: Rosy, Pedro, and Patricia. Rosa raised her children as a single mother with remarkable strength and determination, and one of her greatest joys was seeing each of them graduate from college. In 1998, she met Dr. Pedro Zevallos and they shared a beautiful marriage for the rest of her days. For many years, Rosa served as the administrator of the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, where she touched countless lives by going far beyond her duties to help every Mexican citizen who came seeking help. After retiring from the Consulate, she dedicated herself to managing her husband’s medical practice with the same care and excellence that defined everything she did. Later, she “retired” once again, this time devoting herself fully to her home, her husband, and her grandchildren who adored her. Rosa and Pedro built a home filled with warmth, faith, laughter, and generosity, opening their doors every Sunday, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas, to their blended family. Those gatherings were made unforgettable by Rosa’s legendary cooking, loving spirit, and gift for making everyone feel at home. Rosa had endless energy, optimism, and love, and uplifted everyone around her.

Rosa loved life deeply and loved the people around her even more and found joy in giving and putting her love and affection towards her family. She carried herself with dignity, humility, and grace, and she lived her Christian faith not only in word but in action through her kindness, generosity, and constant service to others. She found joy in listening to Christian programs and music, and she brought comfort, encouragement, and strength to so many. To her family, she was a steady source of love and the heart of the home. She touched many lives in beautiful and lasting ways and will always be remembered as the anchor of our family.

After a very short and unexpected illness, Rosa went to Heaven on May 7, 2026, surrounded by the love of many family members.

She is survived by her husband, Pedro Zevallos; her children, Rosa Maria Burk and Pedro Gonzalez of Lubbock, Texas, and Patricia Basave of Dallas; her sons-in-law, Alberto Basave of Dallas and Brant Burk of Lubbock; her four stepchildren; several brothers and sisters; and twelve grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Her love, strength, and beautiful spirit will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Memorial service to be held 2:00 pm, Thursday, May 14, 2026 in the Sparkman Memorial Chapel of Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225