Carlota Pallares

Texas. Carlota was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador on September 17, 1941. She was the daughter

of Blanca Arellano Varela and Dr Carlos Ayala Cabanilla. She studied in the Colegio Dolores

Sucre where she was an excellent student and participated in many beauty contests and

cultural events. In 1959 she was crowned Miss Ecuador and participated in the Miss Universe

contest in Long Beach California. In 1962 she married Dr Victor Pallares Gómez and soon after

they welcomed their son Victor and daughter Amalia. In 1966 the family migrated to the

Mount Vernon, NY, where their son Jerry was born. The family soon moved to Lakeland, Florida

and later settled in Houston, Texas, where Victor studied vascular surgery and practiced

medicine for over 30 years. The family also lived in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and Guayaquil in the

late 1970s and early 80s. In 1981 their daughter Carla was born and in 1983 Carlota and family

returned to Houston, settling in Sugarland until 2009, when Carlota and Victor moved to

Harlingen, Texas to live near their sons.

Carlota’s migration experience included adapting to a new country and learning a new

language, while ensuring that Spanish was always spoken in the home. She missed Ecuador,

but was able to create a tight circle of friends in Houston and became active in the church,

community work, and organizing cultural events. For many decades, Carlota welcomed

Ecuadorians with serious health issues who were seeking medical treatment in Houston. Some

were family or friends, but many were people she had never met. While Victor helped connect

these visitors with specialists in Houston, Carlota welcomed them to the city, drove them

wherever they needed to go, accompanied them during hospital visits, and many times

welcomed them in their home. Her generosity and caring spirit are remembered by many.

Carlota was a vibrant, curious, and energetic woman who loved to travel. In addition to the

many moves she organized, she was able to visit several countries in Europe, Latin American

and the Caribbean, taking her kids along with her, instilling in them a similar love for travel. She

was a poet who wrote and shared many poems with family and friends and dedicated poems to

her grandchildren. She loved to socialize and open her home to the many friends she made in

Guayaquil, Ponce, and Sugarland. She liked reading, shopping, collecting porcelain figures,

watching telenovelas, and displaying and viewing Christmas decorations. She liked to make

delicious meals for her family and loved sweets.

Carlota was a dynamic and engaged mother, who shared many adventures with her children

when they were young and welcomed them with love when they visited as adults. In her later

years, she enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and granddaughter, and

holding long phone conversations with relatives and dear friends across the world. She will be

greatly missed remains forever in our hearts.

Carlota is survived by her children Victor Pallares (Annette Melendez), Amalia Pallares (Jack

Bizot) Jerry Pallares and Carla Pallares Hutchison (Michael Hutchison), her grandchildren

Alejandro and Melinette Pallares, Antonio and Pablo Gonzalez, Sabrina and Daniela Hutchison,

her great granddaughter Mia Pallares, her sisters Anna Vogt, Sonia Ayala, and Maritza Ayala de

Belollio, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is predeceased by her husband Victor

Pallares Gómez, her parents Blanca Arellano and Carlos Ayala Cabanilla, her brothers Helwan

Meza and Carlos Ayala, and her sisters Marisol and Matilde Ayala.

Carlota’s children deeply appreciate all the family and friends who have reached out in this

difficult time.Services will be held this Friday from 3 to 6:30 pm at Heavenly Grace Funeral

Home, 16873, White Ranch Road, La Feria Texas. The program (in Spanish) starts at 4:30 pm

and will be streamed on Facebook Live:

https://www.facebook.com/HeavenlyGraceFuneraHome