Esperanza Castaneda

With a deep sense of sorrow and loss, our family announces the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Esperanza Castañeda, on May 3, 2026, at the age of 97. She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Francisco Castañeda, and her two sons Juan and Ricardo. She is survived by her adult children Olga, Jaime, Hector and Guadalupe; her in-laws Rudy, Nora, Loralea and Efrain; her grandchildren Denise, Joshua, Francine, Alexandra, Cristian, Cassie, Elise and Caleb; and her great grandchildren Francesca, Vivian, Penelope, Joseph, and Naomi.

Esperanza was born in Gomez Palacios, Durango, Mexico, on March 12, 1929. On March 27, 1949, she married Francisco and they moved to Los Angeles, California. There they started a family and later moved to Houston, Texas. Esperanza was a devoted mother who sacrificed a great deal for her six children. She always impressed upon her children the importance of getting an education and that perseverance was the key to academic achievement.

Additionally, faith was of utmost importance in her household. Her annual Christmas tradition was to put up a large nativity scene which took up about half or more of the living room. The nativity consisted of the baby Jesus and hundreds of clay figures in villages with shepherds, animals, angels and the like. She would invite large church groups, school groups, and friends to visit the nativity scene. Every Christmas Eve, she cooked and served homemade tamales, chicken mole (pronounced moh-lay), and buñuelos to her family.

One of her greatest joys in life was hand quilting. She hand quilted beautiful heirloom quality quilts which many admired. She loved attending the Houston International Quilt Festival every year for almost 50 years. She also had a passion for crocheting, knitting, and sewing. And she loved to drink coffee while eating Mexican sweet bread.

Visitation will be held at Brookside Funeral Home - Champion, 3410 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston, TX 77068, US, on May 18, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, followed by a Celebration of Life at the same location from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

A Committal Service will take place at Earthman Resthaven Funeral Home & Cemetery, 13102 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77060, US, on May 18, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.