Thirty-nine years ago, God walked us through the same road at the same time after I made an unexpected visit to your family’s home in Venezuela. We were from a very popular town in the west of Caracas, El 23 de Enero – El Mirador, a place where we grew up. I remember I saw you in your home’s living room, and for a few seconds, our eyes connected in a way that I had never felt before. We were young teenagers, and we didn’t share a lot in common. I grew up involved in sports and graduated from a public school. You were a different girl who attended a private school, raised in a big family with a lot of brothers and sisters, and most people in town didn’t know much about you.

I remember visiting your home with a common friend for a party. I asked you to dance, and you accepted a couple of times. We barely shared our names, and probably, being young adults, we both were very shy. You were the youngest daughter in your family, and your sisters and brothers were careful that night, taking care of you.

I had the chance to see you again around the downtown area at your workplace, where I met your job supervisor, Mrs. Yolanda. We walked by each other several times after that day, mainly because I shared a business with my cousin in a location near your workplace.

Soon enough, we started dating and getting to know each other better. We used to have fun on Fridays or Saturdays after long weeks of hard work. It didn’t take me long to feel very comfortable with you since we shared most of our families’ values and good manners.

You were a different person who showed me your humility, self-respect, and care for others. You always put your family before anything, and you had tremendous respect for your mother, brothers, and sisters. You helped me to understand what it takes to be in a relationship and the type of commitment needed for a long term with the correct vision.

We had a lot of fun. We visited your favorite places on the east coast of Venezuela, surrounded by green mountains, beautiful seashores, traditional Venezuelan food, the best wildlife, and the best waterfalls in the world. Our love for each other was evolving, and we cared about each other more and more. 

Several years into our relationship, God blessed us with our first son, Kevin Alejandro, when you were 26 years old. I must say that it was a mix of happy and scary moments in my life. But you made me feel empowered and ready to meet all the challenges and expectations. We shared the news with your mother, your brothers, and sisters. Again, you were your mom’s baby girl.

Before our son Kevin Alejandro was born, I explored opportunities for us outside our home country. At that time, I frequently visited New York City several times a year due to business connections between Caracas and New York. I always wanted to find better options to continue my education and prepare my family for a better evolution.

You were very strong and stepped up in Venezuela during our son Kevin’s first three years, living without me and accepting my family as part of your family. It was until 1999 when you decided to leave Venezuela and join me for a new journey in Houston, Texas.

That was the “move” that changed our family’s destiny forever.

Through the years we worked very hard to build our family in a foreign country with a different culture and important aspects like new language, food, behaviors, and without family members around us. However, you were always leading the way to learn and manage a new lifestyle and ensure that all the best options were available for our children.

In 2003, God blessed our family with the arrival of our second son, Samuel Alejandro, whom you called “Alejandrito.” Once again, you made one of the most unselfish decisions by staying at home for three years, taking care of our kids until they were ready to start preschool, and with that, avoiding leaving them with other people instead of their parents. I will always show infinite respect for your actions.

Then in 2006, God blessed our family one more time with the arrival of our beautiful baby girl, Amani Alexandra. It’s amazing, the resemblances between you and Amani—not only on the physical aspects but your behavior and the way you both handle yourselves.

I believe our family is your biggest accomplishment, and your unforgettable love will endure in it forever.

I could never thank you enough for the love and the job you did with our children, even though they are still in the process of improving their education and building their personalities. There is no doubt they are in a better position today thanks to your unselfish effort and the beautiful and absolute love you gave us every second of your time.

I have a lot of memories and beautiful moments we shared together along with our children and family. We are used to being with you and that won’t change, we will be learning and moving forward with your love in our hearts. Even though your early and physical departure will bring new challenges to our lives that we must surpass.

I remember the day you were in labor to deliver our baby Amani. The doctor told us that you would need an epidural to help your body for an easy delivery, and you just told the doctor, “I don’t need an epidural, I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

Another moment was during the past four years when we found out about your health condition. Your strength and determination, the way you fought every second, every day, every night, and the way you opened your heart to embraced the love of God.

At the same time, one of the first lessons we would need to learn is being generous, as you showed us, while we are letting your soul to rest in peace in the kingdom of God.

Esto es solo un hasta luego.
De parte de tu eterno amor.


 “Tu Negrito”.

Alex.


Well, I don't have any questions for you guys. So, thank you guys for being here. This has always felt like something that I had a feeling in the back of my head, and she'd always say these little things that I’d never catch on to. And she would say, “Well, when I'm not here, you’ll worry about this or, you know, when I'm not here, be like this or that.” But I knew that she was preparing us for this very day, you know, and I dreaded this day. But I have no control over what happens. We can only control what we do. 
In her free time, she passed the time in Carupano. It's around the northeast of Venezuela, around Trinidad and Tobago. She told me all these stories about all her uncles and cousins who were fishermen. But the thing is, she’d get really seasick. She never actually liked going out there. So she stayed on the shore, and if you knew my mom, she always had some ailments. She had issues, health issues. She had psoriasis at a young age. She got diagnosed around that time, she met my dad, and they met each other, and she, no matter what happened to her, she would go on. Nothing affected her. In ‘95, that's when we got Kevin. And then there's a story about this. I always asked her, “Why the name Kevin?” And she would respond, “Oh, I love the bodyguard and Kevin Costner was so cute.” She really did like that movie when we were growing up. Yeah, for those first couple of years, Kevin and my mom spent a lot of time together because my dad was going back and forth from America to Venezuela. And yeah, it's encouraging this story. They had a lot of moments together. That bond you have with your firstborn, and you feel like this is the first time I'm doing this, being a mother, you know, but she did everything right.
And whenever everyone came here to America and we got here all together, we started life, and my mother was such a joyous person, and she had such a smile and such a laugh. And she loved smiling. I think she smiled  more than anyone I've ever known. And the thing about that was that she was missing a couple of teeth in the back, and she had these front teeth, but you never would have noticed because she was always smiling and laughing, you know, and she did it well. She's such a selfless person that I was blessed to have in my life. And, she cared so much about her children. She sacrificed so much to come here and to this country for her children, to give us education, to give us opportunities and jobs, and lives. You know, she protected us all she could. She worked all she could. 
My dad worked at Pizza Hut when he first got here, and he still does. But my dad got her a job, she worked at the Pizza Hut down on Spencer Highway. And there are these old photos I was looking at. She was pregnant, working and she had a baby shower there. Yeah, she had a baby shower at Pizza Hut. And anyone who knew her, her coworkers, she affected them with love, with such joy. She's so pure, so full, and she's always going to remain like that to me. I've so many memories about my mom. I could probably stay here all day on that, but there are so many times when I was growing up. When I was 7 or 8, I started getting really anxious about things, and I started getting really nervous, and she noticed that it was a constant thing with me. So I would stay up all night, and I would think, you know, like what if in the next life, if I get sick or something, but I can't control that. I didn't know that at the time. And she would stay there with me, and she would tell me and reassure me of all these things. She prayed for me, she would pray for me, and rid me of all my bad energies. And I still remember her prayer was “San Juan, que lo proteges.” And I appreciate that so much because she really wanted the best for all of us, and she would go and do anything for us. 
If you knew my mom, you knew she couldn't drive. The way she got around places was that she got rides from people. And then I started driving. So I was taking her places. And one time I had basketball practice, it was winter break, and I was in high school. I didn't have a ride. And my dad was at work, and Kevin was away. My mom had bought a car from our friend Ricardo, and the car was in the driveway, and it was meant for me to drive, but I hadn't started driving yet. So I told her like, “Hey, I can't go to basketball practice today”. And then she said, Oh no, it’s good. So I was like, What are you doing? And she started grabbing keys and grabbing stuff. And then she got in the car and started the car. And then, I realized she was about to drive me to basketball practice, and she didn't know how to drive. That was probably the scariest car ride I’ve had. We're going 15 MPH down Main Street. But that's the type of thing that she would do for us. She would, even if she couldn't do it, she would make it happen. She would help us with all of our school projects. She made all of our birthday cakes. She organized all of our parties. She was a social butterfly. When you walked into the house, she'd greet you, she'd smile, she'd offer you something. She'd do anything for you. I’ll thank her eternally for that.
She would do anything if we got hurt. First, she wanted to find out who did it. And then, second, how am I going to get there? I remember one time in kindergarten, I got in trouble. So we were having a moment of silence for the Pledge of Allegiance, and I had my finger out on the desk, and someone crushed it on a chair, and I yelled out. I think it got me in trouble. I got home, and I told my mom that she yelled at me. And the first thing she said, “Voy a romperle las grenias a esa mujer” I was like 5. I told her you can't do that. That means that she wanted to rip out her hair. But yeah, I'm grateful forever. I'm forever grateful to have been her son. She’d do the craziest things, and I would be in shock, like she would mow the lawn if the lawn looked bad. She'd go out there and mow the lawn herself the whole day. She'd wake us up and if we were slow to wake up, she'd grab a glass of cold water and start spraying it in our face. It was the worst feeling. Or she'd grab our legs at the end of the bed and start making bicycles with them. These are just the small things that I'm going to remember. She attended to all of our games. All of you guys who met her in the stands of our games, and with her being the loudest. Her English wasn't perfect, but she yelled all she could and she yelled loud for us, she'd go to all of our band concerts and she was — I just can't explain. I really can't explain it. 
So, you know, towards the end, when she started getting sick. I would ask her all these questions because I was so anxious, and I wanted to know everything, and I wanted to make sure that she's OK. And to start, she had a cough at first, and then I told her, well, you need to go to the doctor. You need to do this. But she would always say, “No, it’s fine”. It's nothing. And that's the person she was. She wanted to not tell us what she was going through because she didn't want to scare us. She wanted to make sure that we were going to be OK. And she would. I never understood why, but I think as a mother, you don't want to scare your children. You want to make sure that they'll be alright. And I have no regrets being her son or any regrets to my life. I appreciate every single moment I had with her, and I don't think I will ever love anyone the same way I loved her. Her health started getting worse, and she started going to the hospital more and staying more and more days. I noticed because I was in college and I would call her on the phone, and our conversations would be about 10 minutes, then after a couple of months, it'd go to about 7, then after a couple of months, it'd go to about 4. And after a couple of months, after a couple of years, they were about a minute, you know, and she couldn't talk that long. She'd get tired. Her lungs couldn't take it. When she got sick, you know, I didn’t see that as my mother. I see my mother as the woman who's so joyous and laughing and dancing all the time, and saying all these things. That was not my mother to me. So, it kind of hit me with a version of pre-grief because we lost the person who knew so much. Through therapy and counseling and plenty of conversations, I realized that my mother is still the woman that I knew. The memories that I had are still with me in here. 
I never lost her, it just became a different form. I really wish it hadn’t gone that way, but I have no control over that. You know, I'm just Sam. I can't do anything. Her body is gone, but she is not. She's in our hearts, she's in your hearts. She's in everyone's hearts that she touched. I think you should remember her for who she was and cherish her. I think you should live your life spreading joy and positivity just the same way that she did. She taught us so much, and she prepared us for this, and she knew. And I feel like it's only right for us to carry on in the same way that she did. I only hope speaking here today can give you some understanding of who she was. If you didn't know her too well, you had to fully see it. You had to stand right in front of her. You had to be there. You had to look her in the eye. You had to listen to her laugh. You had to see her smile to fully understand her. And she's a marvelous person, and I will carry her with me every day on this very earth until I die. Yeah. Thank you all for coming. It means the most from the bottom of my heart, truly.


Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for joining my family in celebrating and honoring the life of my late mother. I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by people who all cared for and shared loving memories with my mom. 

Truthfully, it has been difficult trying to find the words to say about my mom, who meant everything to me. The last couple of weeks have been difficult for me, and from this I’ve learned that great grief is born only of great love, and this is a testament to the immense love I had for my mom.  

Those of you that knew my mom knew that she was the brightest spirit. Her smile was warm and welcoming, making people feel comforted and deeply loved. She approached life with a lively attitude, and she could always bring a smile or laugh to those around her. Being around her simply made life feel better– she was full of love and carried kindness in everything she did. 

People in my life regularly asked about her—she had that kind of impact on others.  
I believe a mother and daughter relationship is sacred. It’s a connection that I cannot easily describe, yet I’m certain that it is incomparable to any other and deeply special. The way a mother and daughter love one another is truly beautiful. It’s a sacred bond that starts before the child is born, and only flourishes over time, with love and nurturing. This is the easiest way for me to describe what our relationship was like.  
      
I am blessed to have had her as my mom. She was my constant in life. No matter what, my mom would always support me with open arms. She used to tell me that she knew me best and that she could figure anything out by just looking into my eyes. At the time, I didn’t believe this or I think deep down I did but didn’t want to admit she was right, but I realized she was right. My mom truly knew me best. She could sense what I was feeling, even when I didn’t say a word and knew exactly what I needed whether it was words of encouragement, a moment of silence, or just her presence. She was the definition of selflessness as she cared for her loved ones before herself. Growing up there was never a dull moment with her, as we spent many days making art & crafts, baking, and watching movies. Just by being in her presence I felt comforted and loved.  

Though she is no longer here with me in the way I want her to be- I am certain my mom is still with me— in every triumph, every struggle, and in the quiet moments in between. Each lesson, each moment with her, has shaped who I am today. I aim to be a reflection of her in every version of myself that is gentler, stronger, or more patient. 

I am eternally grateful to have had my mother in my life. Her love was a constant– unconditional, and always there. I will always carry that love with me, her love guiding me every step whether easy or hard.  



Hello everyone,

Thank you all for being here today. I want to welcome our family, my mom’s close friends, her coworkers, and ours, as well as everyone else who took the time to join us, especially on the Monday after Easter. Your presence truly means a lot to us.

For those who don’t know me, I’m Kevin, my mother’s oldest child.

I want to talk about my relationship with my mom and what she meant to me.

From my earliest memories, my mom was this vibrant, loving, hardworking, and deeply respectful person. She came from humble beginnings in Venezuela, the youngest of 12—or maybe 13 siblings. Life wasn’t easy for her, but she faced it with strength and grace. After finishing secondary school, instead of following the typical path to higher education, she made the selfless decision to begin working, so she could support her family, especially her ailing mother.

She worked tirelessly, always putting others before herself. I didn’t realize it then, but even from a young age, she was showing me what true dedication and love looked like.

When I was born, we became almost inseparable. In those early years, and really throughout my life, I got to see her strength and character up close. She never gave up, no matter how hard things got. Her sacrifices and her relentless work ethic weren’t just for survival—they were about building a better life for those she loved.

She was the glue that held so many parts of our lives together. Even through her own struggles, she managed to care for others with a quiet power that’s hard to describe but impossible to forget.

Her story, her resilience, and the love she gave us will stay with me forever.

Additional!!!!!

During my high school years, she’d wake me at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to school on time, and hand me breakfast and a glass of milk while I sleepwalked my way to the bus stop. She always make me take a jacket/sweater during the colder months of the year to prevent me from getting sick, and I’d always remember her word when I did wear it later in the day. The extra layer of fabric would be her warm embrace shielding me against the elements.

One unique memory of my mom and me is when I was about 3 years old. My mother and I were walking in the inner city of downtown of our hometown, and I, as an observant kid, was taking every little detail of the journey. Then my eyes were fixated on the toy store display, which had many kids' toys. One particular toy that grabbed my interest was a remote control Monster Truck, which I couldn’t take my eyes off, and the Shopkeeper let me touch the Monster truck in the hope that my parents would buy me the toy. At the midst, my mom hadn’t realized that I’d stayed behind to inspect the Monster truck, and she kept walking forward, eventually turned the corner at an intersection while I stayed behind inspecting the toy as if I had the money to buy it myself. I think 5 or so minutes passed when I realized she wasn’t behind me, as if I wasn’t the one who slipped from her grip. She soon returned, infuriated at me, a scared little boy in fear of getting lost in a highly trafficked area, and she then chewed my ears off all the way back to our apartment only for my uncle and grandma to continue chewing me out probably until I went to bed. All of this to say, she always took care of me, protected me, and loved me with every beat of heart even when I gave her headaches or heartaches as a mischievous child.

Another loving memory I’d like to share in my freshman year of high school, I tried out for the 9th grade basketball team in the hope of making the team and playing organized ball. In the Tryouts, I gave my best effort to show the coaches my skills and abilities. Later that week, all player names that made the team were posted on the bulletin, and I didn’t see my name on the list. I sadly walked to the bus line and rode the bus home, holding my tears until reaching my bedroom to release my emotions freely. My mom noticed my quiet entry into the house, and she gave me the tightest hug ever while I just cried my eyes out. I was so distraught that I felt my knees get weak and she held me up right against the wall until I regained my balance. Her aware of my emotions and tender love and care gave me the confidence to speak with the basketball coaches the next day, who told me I had made the team and they had missed my first practice. I had told me I had made the team, and probably read the wrong list.

To reiterate my point about My MOM, she had kids and she invested her love, time, and attention to raise us to become righteous members of society. She learned each of our strengths, our personalities, our talents, and attitudes. She cared more about us than herself all the times and her unwavering and unconditional love gave us the courage to face any challenges or setbacks that came our way with a smile and a persistent spirit. She encouraged me to return to college to seek out my vision for a career and to live life to the fullest!


Primo, Ahijado, Sobrinos 
Lamento profundamente la pérdida que están enfrentando. No hay nada más doloroso que la pérdida de una madre, mi corazón está con uds en estos momentos tan difíciles."
"Es un duelo eterno, Pero uno aprende a encontrar consuelo en el cariño de quienes lo  rodean y en los buenos recuerdos compartidos."
 Francis , fue una mujer que siempre lucho por su familia, que su recuerdo y todos los momentos vividos perduren en sus corazones 
No nos conocemos personalmente, Pero somos familia, la más grande y linda familia, les envío mi abrazo fraterno, que ojalá les brinde fortaleza, paz y amor.
Quien les quiere y extraña , su tía Zuleika

Comadre! Así te llame siempre y con mucho cariño! Nuestras vidas, nuestros pasos por este mundo terrenal de tantos matices, situaciones, altos y bajos, risas y lágrimas son parte de la oportunidad que Dios nos da para amar antes de estar en su presencia y amor fue lo que tu brindaste siempre, especialmente a tus hijos! Dios te bendiga siempre y los ángeles te acompañen en esta nueva aventura en el cielo!

Francis. Te recordare como la persona que nunca se dejó vencer. Dar soporte a quien lo necesito. Gracias por el apoyo que le brindaste a mi Sobrina Jimeliz y a todos los que pasaron por tu hogar, dando tu calor. Sé que donde estas te encuentras bien. Dale esa fortaleza al primo Alejandro, tus hijos Kevin, Samuel y Amani para que logren alcanzar sus metas. Te Honro. Familia Arias Bolívar, Arias Vásquez

Francis siempre te recordaré como la mujer trabajadora y luchadora que eras, que hacia todo por sus hijos y familia, tu resiliencia fue hasta el final. Vuela alto y descansa en paz 🕊️

Gracias Francis por haber sido parte de nuestra historia y por dejar una huella tan bonita en mi vida como son mis nietos.  Da fortaleza a mi hijo Alejandro y a tus hijos Kevin, Samuel y Amani para que sigan adelante con lo que aprendieron de ti. 
Que tú alma tenga Paz.

Francis, queremos expresar nuestra tristeza por tu partida , nuestro agradecimiento por siempre  de tus atenciones  con Jimeliz, darle espacio en tu hogar y recibirla como una hija mas para ti  dejó ver que fuiste una madre con un gran corazón. 
Dios te ha recibido en su reino y  permitirá que sigas siendo la guía de tus seres amados. 
La familia Arias Angel  te recordaremos siempre.

Mis más sinceras condolencias a mi tío Alex y mis primos Kevin, Samuel y Amani. 
Si bien no existen palabras que los puedan consolar quiero que sepan que los acompaño en su dolor y por muy difícil que sea este momento le pido a Dios que les dé la fuerza para seguir adelante 🙏 

Att: Solmary

sobrina!
Fue muy poco lo que compati contigo porque la vida te llevo hacia otra tierra junto a tu esposo Alex  e hijo Kevin, en busca de un futuro mejor y allí creció la familia llegaron Samuel y Amani. Dios te permitió verlos crecer hacerse adultos de bien de tu mano Que mejor legado le podías dejar te fuiste sabiendo que están bien, porque siempre diste el 100 para tu familia.
Vuela feliz porque lo hiciste bien.

       "Nunca muere quien supo vivir y dejar en la tierra hermosos recuerdos que estarán en la memoria de su familia y seres queridos"
          Para ti Francis QEPD
Para Alex, Kevin, Samuel y Amani un fuerte abrazo de la tía Juanita y Miguel.

Que el Señor la reciba con amor y paz a su alma 
Fortaleza a su esposo y hijos

Asi te recordaré 🫶.                                    Mujer luchadora y trabajadora.                Siempre que te hablaba por este medio te dije trata de descansar y ser feliz 🫶.   Quedan los recuerdos bonitos.                                                           Hasta siempre 🫶

Me enseñaste que hay diferentes formas de Amor. Tu resiliencia y fortaleza fueron admirables hasta lo último. Gracias por el tiempo compartido, por mis sobrinos que llenan mi existir. Se que siempre estarás primeramente en cada uno de ellos recordándome que tú sigues aquí, cuidando los como solo tú sabías hacerlo Que tú ser de Luz vaya en Paz . 💙💋

OBITUARY

Francis Josefina Alquiades

January 17, 1968 – March 31, 2025

Funeraria Del Angel

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services