Josefina Portillo de Saldaña

Josefina Portillo de Saldaña of Laredo, Texas, age 97, died peacefully at her home in the arms of her youngest daughter on July 14, surrounded by family and friends. Fina, as she was lovingly known, was born in Oaxaca, Oaxaca on November 3, 1920, to Sofia Portillo de Portillo and Francisco Portillo Castañeda. For 32 years, she was a devoted wife and best friend to Miguel J. Saldaña Garcia, who died in 1976. Fina graduated from Fitz-Gibbon College (Mexico City) with an accounting degree in 1939. She worked as a bookkeeper and a seamstress to help support her family, and was an active member of Christ the King Church. Fina was an avid gardener and excellent cook, whose home was always open to her cherished nephews and nieces, and to anyone in need. She is preceded in death by her husband, Miguel J. Saldaña Garcia; her parents, Francisco Portillo Castañeda and Sofia Portillo de Portillo; granddaughters, Rebecca Saldaña, and Lara West. She is also preceded in death by her siblings, María Concepción P. “Concha” (Agusto) de Carballido, Andrés (Blanca) Portillo Portillo, Mercedes P. (Francisco) de Avendaño, Sofia P. “Chofi” (Alfredo) de Altamirano, and Francisco “Paco” (Teresa) Portillo Portillo; mother-in-law, Antonia Garcia Saldaña; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernestina (Francisco) Flores, Oscar M. (Enriqueta) Saldaña, Irene Saldaña, Graciela (Jesse G.) Hernandez, Juan A. (Blasita) Saldaña, Francisco J. Saldaña Sr., Hector A. Saldaña, and Manuel Saldaña. She is blessed to be survived by her seven children and their partners: Dr. Miguel J. Saldaña (wife Margie) of Wilmington, N.C.; Dr. Jose Antonio Saldaña (wife Nella) of San Antonio, TX; Dr. Carlos F. Saldaña (wife Gloria) of Tacoma, WA; Martha Schmidt, RN, of Houston, TX; Patricia Semmelmann (husband Stanley) of Harlingen, TX; Ana Irene Saldaña, LCSW (husband Marshall Bruni) of Austin, TX; and Dr. Josefina Saldaña (compañero Dr. David Kazanjian) of Brooklyn, NY. Fina was also blessed to be survived by eighteen grandchildren and thirty-one great grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Naomi Saldaña and Hilda Guerrero; and many nephews and nieces in both Mexico and the United States, whom she loved and counseled like her own children. The Saldaña Portillo family would like to thank Nurses on Wheels Hospice, Dr. Luis Benavides, and her devoted caregivers for their constant, generous, and tender affections to our funny and charming mother, who was ever the wordsmith and never lost a game of cards or dominos in her life, according to her. Juguetona hasta el final, pinga, brave warrior, reina del doble sentido. A rosary will be held on Friday, July 20, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hillside Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. from Hillside Funeral Home to Holy Family Church. Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the family plot of the Calvary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to RAICES https://www.raicestexas.org/donate/.