Margaret Ann (Lopez) Reyes

Margaret Ann Lopez Reyes returned home Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the age of 75 years. She was a wonderful soul, with a brilliant aura and anyone who knew her was blessed. She was compassionate, kind, stern but loving and a force of life. She was brilliant and could have done anything, been anything and gone anywhere. Growing up she stayed close to her parents who she adored, learning how to sew and cook from her beautiful mom, how to build and repair from her wonderful dad, who served as a Naval Seabee in World War II, and how to love The Father, Son and Holy Spirit and always walk in His path from both of her loving parents.

True to her servant’s heart, her path led her to become a registered nurse, devoting her life to care for others for over half a century (54 years). In her early career years, she served in the hospitals, in the OB/GYN units. Later, she took a position as school nurse at St. Luke's Catholic School, where her children attended. She moved on as head nurse in the OB/GYN unit at Methodist Metropolitan and then the Director for Quality Control at Vencor Hospital. In her later years, she started her consulting company, R.E.Y.E.S. Healthcare (Regulatory Education Yielding Exceptional Surveys) that would assist hospitals and medical facilities reach and often exceed Joint Commission standards so that they would continue to provide the excellent care that she strongly believed were all patients' rights. This would take her all over the country as well as led to living a year in Abu Dhabi, Capital of the United Arab Emirates to work with International Medical Consultants, IMC. The last chapter of her career was as a state surveyor with Texas Health and Human Services. True to her philosophy on patient care, she assessed whether the quality of care, needed by the residents, was being provided in nursing homes in San Antonio and surrounding areas. She retired March 31, 2023.

While her children were growing up, she was their biggest fan and always fed their interests. She was a brownie leader for her daughter's Girl Scout troop and during the summers, a camp nurse at Camp LaJita. She was a band mom, soccer mom, dance mom, karate mom, boy scout mom, softball mom, and showed up to every practice, recital, game and ceremony. She loved to teach and pass on her knowledge and had a way of doing it that anyone would understand. She and her husband, Bennie taught CCD classes to grade school youngsters who were about to make their first communion and here she instilled the lessons of the Bible and how much God loves all into them. Her undeniable love for God and adoration for Mary, Mother of Christ, spilled over into her children where she always reminded them that all in life is His will and when times were hard, turn to Him and pray. She always said to believe in hope and never give up on faith in Him. If you made a mistake or messed up, big or small, she would be right there to help you through it. No judgement. No shame. Only love and always with a reminder to keep your head held high.

While living in Abu Dhabi, she learned how to scuba dive, swam in the Dead Sea and explored the world of her sharks that she was secretly obsessed with. She is the only person that her children knew, who loved ALL the Sharknado movies, so much so that she wore out her first Sharknado T-shirt and her son, Ruben, had to order her another one.

She made friends wherever she was and built lifelong friendships with a lucky few. She loved penguins and giraffes. She loved stargazers and calla lilies. She loved musicals such as Carousel, operas such as Les Miserables, theater productions such as Fiddler on the Roof, and the great classics such as Little Women. She was an avid sewer and crafter. She loved her Hyundai and on weekends you could be sure to find her zipping around town visiting Hobby Lobby or JoAnn Fabrics. She loved to dine out, for the food of course, but mostly for the time spent with her family and friends. At home, she was always working on something for someone, be it a blanket, quilt, wreath or goodies for her daughter, Elizabeth's students in the classroom. She loved to piddle in her sewing room and was always organizing her house. She always had 4 of everything and if someone needed something, she had it to give. She loved going to the coast and in earlier times, walking on the beach, playing in the sand with her children and searching for scalloped treasures. Those later years turned into simply being near the waters, while sewing or working on a quilt and listening to her waves. This was her happy place. This was her calm.

In 2008, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Colon cancer and with one surgery, she beat it as she still had much to do in life and many more memories to make. Her work was not yet done.

Fifteen years later, on June 2nd, 2023, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Pancreatic cancer. Electing chemotherapy, she completed 1 round with 3 treatments. She fought a brilliant fight and her faith in God never waivered. In the end, she lost her battle and all avenues, to keep her on this earth, had been exhausted. It is time to rest Mom. It is time to go home. Her children, her family, her friends will have to adjust to a world without her light, but she is the lucky one. And we are forever blessed to have been able to call her Mommy, Mama, Ma, Grandma, G-Ma, GG, friend and angel among us.

Her legacy lives on through her children, Patricia Ann Herrera and son-in-law Edgar, Ruben Frank, Thomas Michael and daughter-in-law Margie and Elizabeth Marie Reyes and Brooke Robison, her grandchildren, Lauren and her husband Anthony, Frank, Victoria, Bryanna, Noah, TJ, Emerald and her husband Daryl, Josh and his wife Krystal and great grandchildren, Ethan, Carla, Lissie, Arielya, Rhapsody, Dillon, Brently, Paisley, Lincoln and Jackson, her sister Linda and brother-in-law Arthur Trevino and nephews and nieces.

A visitation for Margaret will be held Thursday, August 10, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM with a rosary at 6:00 PM at Funeraria Del Angel Roy Akers, 515 North Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78205. A funeral mass will occur Friday, August 11, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Resurrection of The Lord, 7990 Military Dr W, San Antonio, TX 78227. Burial will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FunerariaDelAngelRoyAkers.com for the Reyes family.