Carmen Navarro Vela

Carmen Navarro Vela, age 92, peacefully joined our Heavenly father on Thursday, March 10,2022 in San Antonio, TX. She was born on May 9, 1929, in McAllen, TX to Jose and Julia Navarro. Carmen was a proponent of several catholic organizations such as; Archdiocese of San Antonio, St. Jude, & Boysville Inc. to name a few. Her travels took her to Rome, Canada, Spain, both east and west coast. Lady Luck was on her side for her occasional trips to Lake Charles, LA, Eagle Pass, TX and Thackerville, OK. Of her many homemade projects, gardening, cooking, one of her favorite things to do was to sew dresses and hair bows for her four granddaughters. Her special talent would create the most beautiful and colorful folkloric dresses of all. Carmens education was cut short due to the depression, but that did not stop her from reading the San Antonio Light & then the Express-News. Much of her leisure time would be working on puzzles of all kinds until her vision began to decline. Carmen lost her husband at an exceedingly early point, which resulted in her raising three daughters while working at a local clothing factory. She instilled the value of having a good education and maintaining a profession. All her daughters and grandchildren attended college and have had remarkably successful careers. Carmen was kind, loving and believed in the biblical rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matt. 7:12). As her eye sight regressed, her only regret was not being able to read her bible and scriptures daily.

She was preceded in death by her parents Julia and Jose Navarro; her husband, Guadalupe Z. Vela; her siblings, Leandro Navarro, Jose Navarro, Guillermo Navarro, Dolores Guzman, Genevieve Zamora, Frances Garza, and Anita Gonzales. Carmen is survived by her daughters, Gloria Vela (Yvonne A. Garibay), Thelma Vela-Luna (John P. Luna Jr.), and Judith Ann Pelayo (Benito B. Pelayo); her six grandchildren: Lauren Welter, Nadia Pelayo, Ileana Frymire, Andre Pelayo, Celina Marie Luna, and Paul Guadalupe Luna; and her three great grandchildren: Matthew, Pierce, and Paxton Welter.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, April 12th, 2022 at Porter Loring North.

ROSARY

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

7:00 PM

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

FUNERAL MASS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022

11:30 AM

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

2102 N LOOP 1604 E

Rev. Msgr. Heberto M. Diaz Jr. will officiate. Interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. In Lieu flowers, memorable contributions may be made to St. Jude Hospital, Embrace Hospice Care, Boysville, Inc.