Amanda Michelle Larson was called to Heaven on Monday, November 29th, 2021, at the age of 48, far too young for such a dynamic, vibrant, and compassionate woman. Her daughter Kim and I were holding her hands as she passed.
Amanda was born to Robert and Elizabeth Becerra on May 23rd, 1973, in San Angelo, Texas; a town I would reside in 11 years later. She grew up in Pasadena and Deer Park, Texas. She graduated from Deer Park high school in 1992 and a few months later showed up for work at an Exxon plant in Baytown where we met.
Amanda married Andrew Larson on March 20th, 1999, and our daughter Kim was born on October 14th, 2003.
Amanda is preceded in death by her mother Elizabeth Becerra, grandmother Emma Rodriguez, and grandfather Robert Becerra.
Amanda is survived by her husband of 23 years Andrew Larson, her daughter Kimberly Larson, her father Robert Becerra Jr., grandmother Lydia Becerra, sister Denise Flores and husband Mike Flores, nephew Robert Flores, niece Ellie Flores, and many more relatives.
Amanda was a vibrant, compassionate, beautiful woman. She was a caring and loving mother, wife and aunt. Her passion in life first and foremost was her family. She prioritized taking care of family and spending time together. Family time together for meals, game night, the family TV shows, or going out to events, museums and festivals were the most important part of life for Amanda. Amanda was the driving force organizing all of our family activities. When Kim was young it was time at the neighborhood pool or traveling to water parks. Then it was summer bowling passes and trips to museums and local art fests and farmer’s markets.
For Amanda, family also included her beloved pets. She doted on her cat Kizzy as a child and welcomed dogs into our house, starting with Windsor, the dog she wanted as soon as we moved into a house. She knew how important loving pets were so when Kim was in 1st grade we brought home Oreo and then Sasha who remain with us now.
Amanda developed into an incredible cook for her family. For Amanda, the effort required to create fantastic meals from scratch was a way to express her deep love for her family. Cooking and cooking shows was how she spent her quality time. This passion for good food also meant she was on the lookout for new restaurants with unique cuisine, or just something new. On our family vacations she would always have a couple unique restaurants selected to find exciting dining options.
Travel was a passion for Amanda. From the time we started dating we were travelling around Texas. Our greatest trip, our honeymoon, was 3 fantastic weeks in England, France, and Germany. Her love of travel adventures kept us on the move with multiple trips around Texas, to New Orleans, Chicago, Florida, New York, California, and our last family vacation to Canada in 2019.
Amanda had a great appreciation for art, museums, theater, and music. Music was always playing as she was working around the house, or when she had her headphones and was dancing when she thought no one was looking. She passed on this musical love to Kim who also dances around the house. Amanda enjoyed the theater and we made several trips to performances in Houston, and every trip to New York included a stop on Broadway.
The common thread in Amanda’s life was devotion to family. She became a stay-at-home mom when Kim began kindergarten. She got Kim ready for school every day, took care of Kim and me constantly, and did all the small things we didn’t always notice, but which meant so much. Amanda’s creativity was channeled into her scrapbooking. She was passionate about creatively capturing and preserving the moments of our lives.
In recent years, gardening, true crime stories, and folklore became her interests. When we weren’t listening to music, Amanda was playing one of her folklore or true crime podcasts.
Amanda knew how to have fun and enjoyed the lighter moments in life. We had so many inside jokes we would laugh about together, and Amanda’s epic red sweater journey has been a source of laughter for the entire family.
Amanda was my partner, my friend, my wife, and my love for 29 years. Although too few, those years were filled with love and happiness. My life with her was an incredible journey. I love her and thank her for the life she gave me and Kim. She gave me two of the greatest gifts I could ever ask for, being her husband and Kim’s dad.
Amanda is with God, whole and healthy again. All who loved her miss her deeply.
Your loving husband Andrew and daughter Kimberly
A visitation for Amanda will be held Monday, December 13, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77077. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77077. A committal service will occur Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77038.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkwestheimer.com for the Larson family.
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