Rebecca R. Alvarado

She passed away at her home, surrounded by loving family on Sunday, August 18, 2013.

When she was a small child, her family made Dallas their home. They traveled throughout the South as seasonal migrant workers.

She was a beautiful wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend.

Becky was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Ignacio Alvarado, brothers, Pedro, Robert, Leonard, Paul, sisters, Julia, Juanita, Anita, and great grandson, Gavin.

Becky loved to laugh and had the warmest smile. She was always taking care of others and truly believed that only hungry people knocked on her door. She was a great cook and if you had the privilege of sitting at her table you probably had a favorite dish that she made for you.

She was fiercely independent, which made her illness initially difficult for her. She lived her life in the service of others, particularly her family and to reverse that role was a tough pill for her to swallow. Once she acquiesced to allow others to care for her, she taught those of us close to her to face death with courage, and dignity. Her faith never wavered and she accepted God’s will and knew that everlasting life in heaven was her next and final step.

This precious little woman will be missed and forever loved. She will continue to live in our hearts, smiles, and our laughter. She will be with us on our best days and will help carry us on our worst days.

It has been said that it’s not the days in your life, but the life in your days that matter. Becky was blessed with both. She had a long life measuring 33,614 days, but she also had so much life in those days. She and Ignacio loved to dance. There are many pictures of them, dressed to the nines, headed to a dance or at a dance. She loved her job as a waitress at Mexico City and told stories of that time of her life often. She loved her church and her church family. In her later years, you could find her taking to friends on the phone, reminiscing about days gone by, or discussing her beloved novellas. She would even explain the story plots and characters to those of us in the family who speak only a little Spanish. She read her Bible every day.

When Becky smiled, it was with her whole face. Her eyes lit up. When she greeted you with that smile, you knew that you were welcomed.

Family is not always blood. It is the people in your life who want you in their life also, the ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. Because of that, each of you here are family, because Becky loved each of you.

We would like to thank each and everyone who loved our mom, we know that she was loved and cherished by many. Thank you for being there for her during her illness and being there for us as a family.