Anita T. Torrez

Anita T Torrez passed peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on July 4, 2024. Anita was born on March 20, 1915 on the first day of Spring. Important recollections of a lifetime of 109 years immediately come to mind as the family remembers the special person whose hands have formulated each and everyone of them. Glimpses into her youth tell of growing up on a ranch with her parents and two older brothers and a sister in San Patricio County, Texas.

Anita was married in Victoria, Texas in 1931 to Estanislado F. Torrez. Anita as a young bride would toil through America’s darkest days – the Depression, the loss of her first two children to the ravages of disease, and later would have to fend for her other three children while their father went to war. Her fourth. Child would be a “Baby Boomer.” These hard times formulated the stoic and “can do” person that brought her through to live to 109. She truly believed that hard work and getting an education was what one needed to be successful in life. She would work late into the night sewing for people to make ends meet and she seemed not to tire. She didn’t just tell us about her philosophy, by golly, you were going to do it or at least try it out. If you failed at least you would have tried.

At 90 she was still driving into Houston to attend Sunday mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Pasadena and probably one of the best dressed senior citizens as she strove to stay abreast of the lates fashions and was often seen wearing high heels to many events while her children were wearing comfortable low heels to her dismay. She looked great but it was even better to see her in action making the world’s best tamales and apple cake any one has ever tasted. She always said her secret to a long life was to keep moving and thought everyone around her should be moving too. She truly saw all of America’s good times and bad times and has imparted to all of her family the “can do spirit” and kept the Mexican heritage as well as her American spirit altogether.

Anita was preceded in death by her husband Estanislado, and daughter Minnie Szymanski. She was survived by son Raul T. Torres and wife Rachael Torres, son Ernest Torrez, and daughter Mary Alice Salinas and husband Andy Salinas, grandchildren Malissa Stevens and husband Mark Stevens, Roy Torres and wife Debbie Torres, Tangela Torrez, Kathy O’Brien and husband Scott O’Brien, Michelle Salinas Massey and husband Michael Massey, Shannon Stevens, Kristy Szymanski, Randy Torres, Ron Salinas and wife Scherie Salinas, great-grandchildren Karen and husband Jason Wittenberg, Amanda and husband Garret Ruiz, Brandon Perkins, Jaclyn O’Brien, Priscilla Perkins, Samantha Torres, Zakary Salinas, Dillon Perkins, Cristian Salinas, great-great children, nieces, nephews and her loving caregivers of the last 9 years.