Tanya Villarreal Pena

Mom has been known to be a charismatic, caring, strong, hard-working, and the most humble human being in the world. She loved her friends, coworkers, bosses, and most importantly her family. Mom was raised at the ranch, and I remember how she would describe staying home almost every weekend to work at the ranch with her father and brother. However, do not mistake working in the sun as miserable work, Mom adored and had a deep passion for the ranch. She admired the horses, cows, and the growing grass, but not as much as she appreciated her mom, dad, husband, and daughters.

Mom worked hard all her life and strove for success at every point in time. I remember she was raising a family with her husband, working full time at the Federal Probation Office, and went back to school to earn her degree in criminal justice. She would express how tiresome it was to be driving from McAllen to Rio every day and staying up late at all hours to complete homework and work. As we all know, Mom was the best example not only for others but also for her family.

Mom has shown, expressed, taught, and embedded in her daughters to always strive and work hard for any goals that need to be achieved. She always made time to support Hunter and Kamryn in everything they did by ensuring she attended every game, ceremony, pageant, and UIL meets. Mom held her daughters on such a high pedestal and was always willing to make sacrifices for her family, she even stopped working at the Federal Probation Office to be closer to her daughters so she was able to make every event that they were participating in. Being the pillar and rock of the family, Mom always put her family first and defended those she loved and cared for.

In discovering Mom’s diagnosis she truly showed courageousness, strength, and faith. Every treatment, every travel, and every call, she took the bull by the horns to make sure she fought every single time. Mom could touch the hearts of others with great influence within seconds, days, months, and years of knowing her. She is the true definition of a leader, a mother, and a fighter. It is very difficult to sum up the way Mom was and life in a page, but those who have known her will hold onto their memories with her, her personality, and especially her laugh.

So on behalf of her mom Debra, Lupito, Hunter, and Kamryn, we would like to express our love and appreciation for everyone who has partaken in her life.