After losing her mother at 13 years old, she began caring for her father and younger sister O’tila until meeting her husband Manuel, to whom she was married for 57 years. Through adulthood, she worked several jobs and continued making a home for her children, their friends, her grandchildren, and really anybody who came around. To most people Ofelia knew, she felt like home. Whether you were, her daughter, bonding, rather passionately, over an Astros game, her grandson, working crossword puzzles over a cup of coffee most mornings, one of her “self-adopted” children whom she held dearly, or the repairman who, let’s face it, was her favorite; she loved you, and you knew it.
Ofelia is preceded in death by her parents, Pánfilo and Olivia, her husband Manuel, her sister O’tila Mendoza (and husband Cándido), and her granddaughter Angela Aguilar.
She is survived by her children Marie Paredez, Jimmy (Mary) Paredez, Linda Beltran, Blanca (Huub) Duivenvoorde, Rene (Karen) Paredez, and Cynthia Paredez, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandson, and numerous family and friends.
In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations. Be made to St. Jude at www.shrineofsaintjude.org or mail to 205 W Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60606 in memory of Ofelia Paredez.
The visitation will be Monday, November 16, 2026 from 5pm to 9pm at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale St, with the rosary starting at 7pm. The funeral mass will be held at Assumption Catholic Church, 901 E Roselane St, on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 9:30am followed by a graveside memorial at the VA cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, at 11 am.
