Angela D. Perez

Our dearest Angela D. Perez, 89, has passed away on September 7, 2025 in her home in Laredo, Texas.

On April 6, 1936, God bestowed a loving gift of warmth and light to parents Aurelio Diaz and Paula Guerra Diaz in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas in the form of a beautiful baby girl, Angela. She was born and raised with nine siblings on a ranch owned by her father where the freedom of the open land and bustle of livestock shaped and molded the woman she would become.

At just about five feet tall, Angela’s short stature and sweet demeanor could lead one to believe she may have had a fragile nature but this is an inaccurate assumption. Angela was known to have a strong and fiery spirit that was less like a delicate flower and more like a strong and splendid tree—“chiquita, pero picosa,” as she once described herself. Living on a large ranch, her explorations were boundless, allowing her to discover a love of the outdoors, a knack for riding horses, and the impressive talent for preparing a felled animal to feed her family. At a young age still in girlhood, she once “ran away” from home, determined to survive on her own out in the monté. Little Angela was able to hunt a turtle, prepare the meat, and cook it into a soup before she decided life in the wild was perhaps not what it was cracked up to be, and went home.

This fearless child grew up to be a most impressive woman. Angela took care of her siblings, and taught in a school for the children on the ranch, feeding them all as well. She later helped as a nurse, delivering babies in a hospital in Nuevo Laredo, further strengthening her spirit and her ability to put others first in times of need. Although: she herself came first in a dancing competition she won at the age of 17, earning the enviable prize of dancing with mambo legend, Pérez Prado.

This brilliance in heart and character emanated from Angela, attracting others to her and her beautiful aura, including a young school teacher named Sabas Perez. One day, Angela’s little brother, Miguel, couldn’t attend school so Angela and her mother went to meet with his teacher, Mr. Perez, to notify him of Miguel’s absence. Needless to say, Sabas excused Miguel’s absence with a swiftness once he laid eyes upon Angela’s warm smile.

On the happy day of June 9, 1957, Angela married her beloved Sabas and together they began their family. They had five children: Gus, Araceli, Annabelle, Peter, and Leo, who grew up in a home filled with laughter, carne asadas, good food, and many stories–all aspects they would continue to foster and pass down to their own children when the time came. Sabas invited all manner of guests: friends, students, and politicians, who eagerly accepted the invitation but stayed simply for Angela’s cooking.

Angela and Sabas had a gift for bringing together groups of people under an umbrella of joy and happiness to create traditions that stood the test of time and still continue to this day. They played backgammon, dominoes, or cards while the fire blazed in the barbeque, music played on a stereo, and great stories and jokes were shared in good humor. The times by the fires were sacred and built upon a foundation carefully laid by the two together.

In later years, Angela and Sabas spent much of their time on their daughter Araceli’s ranch she owned with her husband, Dr. John Masciale. The ranch hosted a number of family gatherings for holidays, birthdays, or random weekends away, and was often maintained by Angela and Sabas. The skills Angela learned from growing up on her father’s ranch shined during these years as she fearlessly dispatched snakes, fed and cared for the cows and goats, and warmed the kitchen with her homemade tortillas and food, all while she happily whistled and cracked jokes to her grandchildren who lovingly referred to her as “Ita,” short for “abuelita.”

While Angela was a culinary force in her home, she had the appetite for travel and adventure, often setting out on the road with Sabas to entertain her children when they were young or later visit her grandchildren. When her children were young, she and Sabas took them camping and amazed them by preparing a feast of molé, rice, and beans all with nothing but a little coleman stove or a simple griddle over an open fire. Later, she happily joined many Thanksgiving trips to Concan and winter trips to Ruidoso. She stood in awe of the Grand Canyon and braved the Colorado River upon a white water raft. She made time to drive hours to visit her children and grandchildren and always greeted them with delighted open arms, ready for the days ahead and always on her feet.

Angela was a woman to love, admire, and cherish. She lived her life humbly and with pure goodness in her heart, always polite but with a consistently spirited sense of humor. She found joy and laughter in every day that she lived and spread it to her loved ones. She always welcomed guests into her comfortable home filled with delicious food and promises of a joyous evening ahead.

Angela often said, “Diosito se olvidó de mí,” once her husband Sabas departed. But, God was simply letting Angela’s radiant light warm the earth a little longer, to the benefit of her loved ones. Now, heaven needs her light and she has moved on to shine for eternity amongst the stars. And while the earth is dim without her, memories, stories, and photos of her will continue to spark light whenever we may need it. To my Ita: Te amo mucho y nosotras nos vamos a reunir de nuevo.

Angela is preceded in death by: her parents, Aurelio Diaz and Paula Guerra Diaz; Her husband of 49 years, Sabas Perez; Her siblings: Orelia D. Mireles (José), Elvira Diaz, Olivia Cuellar (Reynaldo), Aurelio Diaz (Juana), Rodolfo Diaz, Paula Baily (Trinidad), and Maria del Carmen Cardenas (José); And her granddaughter, Stephanie Ramirez.

Angela is survived by: her siblings: Oralia Puente (Carlos ✝), and Miguel Diaz (Diana); her children: Alfredo Gus Perez (Linda), Angelica Araceli Masciale (John), Annabella Ramirez (Oscar), Sabas Peter Perez (Gabriela), and Leonides Hector Perez (Adriana); and her remaining grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Jeyme, Marie, Irene, Martha and Dr. Melissa Gonzalez.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church at 9 am. Visitation will be held at Hillside Funerals & Cremations, from 10 am to 12 pm. Procession will depart the funeral home at 12 pm.

Rite of Committal and Interment will follow to the Calvary Catholic Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest.

Pallbearers will be: Alan Perez, Johnny Perez, Alfredo Perez, Oscar Ramirez Jr., Peter Perez and Ramiro Perez.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hillside Funerals and Cremations; 310 W. Hillside Rd.; Laredo, TX 78041; 956.724.6060