Socorro Padilla

PADILLA Socorro A. Padilla, 94, of Kansas City, Missouri, died on Saturday, September 17, 2011, at North Kansas City Hospital surrounded by her loving family. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 at Redemptorist Fathers-Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the McGilley Midtown Chapel, where the rosary will be prayed at 8:30 p.m. by the Guadalupana Society. In lieu of flowers, the family request contributions to the Guadalupe School Alumni Fund. Socorro was born on November 10, 1916, San Luis, Potosi, Mexico to Arcadio and Hermelinda (Hernandez) Arzola and immigrated in 1919. She graduated from Guadalupe School. She became a naturalized US citizen in the 1950s. She married Tom Padilla on February 14, 1937, and he preceded her in death. During WWII while Tom was fighting in the war, Socorro unloaded mail boxcars at night at Union Station and raised her family during the day. She worked at BMA from 1960 to 1979 as a cook in the executive dining room serving national dignitaries, including two former presidents. After her retirement, she attended classes at the Raytown Adult Education Center in cake decoration, sewing, drawing and painting. She loved to fish at her home at the Lake of the Ozarks and taught her family how to fish as well. In addition to her parents and husband, Socorro was preceded in death by six siblings, Arcadio the older and Arcadio the younger, John Arzola, Victoria Rodriquez, Jesse Amayo and Mercedes Ortega; sons-in-law, Bill Lewis, and Vern Frazee; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Arzola, Ruth Arzola; and brother-in-law, Joe Valdiviez. Her survivors include her children, Tom "Bebo" Padilla and wife Judy, Margaret "Beba" Lewis, Lucy "Quita" Muzquiz and husband Eddie, Joseph M. Padilla and wife Karen, Carlos Padilla and wife Linda, Rose M. Frazee and Rita "ReeRee" Padilla-Smith and husband David; brothers, Tony Arzola, Rudy Arzola, Salvador "Chava" Arzola and wife Frances, Leo Arzola and wife Josephine; two sisters, Irene Garcia and Katie Valdiviez; 33 grandchildren; 57 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.