Rafaela A Torres

On Sunday, November 22, 2020, Rafaela Torres, loving mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 84.

The family will celebrate her life at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 25th at Robert Massie Riverside Chapel with interment at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens. Due to Covid concerns mask will be required and social distancing will be observed. The funeral service will be live-streamed and the family encourages you to participate in this way to protect your health. The live stream will begin five minutes prior to service time on Wednesday, the link can be found below the obit on this page.

Rafaela was born on December 14, 1935, in Oakwood, Texas to Tomas Alvarado and Natalia Montoya. She lived in both Lubbock, and San Antonio, and called San Angelo home in her final years.

Despite never having the opportunity to attend school, Rafaela found a way to provide for her daughters; without complaint, she cleaned hotel rooms and worked many other jobs to help keep food on the table. She was the rock of her family and a patient listener, always ready to provide guidance to her children and grandchildren. She loved everyone and was fiercely protective of her entire family, encouraging those around her to give others the benefit of the doubt and to avoid speaking ill of one another. She loved cooking and food, especially Ray’s Puffy Tacos, and had an appetite that far outsized her petite 4’8” frame, requesting tamales even in the final days of her life. She had a giggle that could light up the darkest of rooms. She loved Christian music and the Benny Hinn show. She loved shoes, earrings, and capri pants, and looked “put together” every time she left the house, regardless of where she was going. She loved garage sales and, when running errands, could generally be found clinging tightly to her small tan purse. Rafaela didn’t let age keep her from new experiences; she caught her first fish in her 70s and rode in a horse-drawn carriage when she was 80. And, she could always be counted on to know the latest weather forecast.

Rafaela was preceded in death by her father, mother, and husband Ramiro Torres. She is survived by her daughters Natalia Mendez (Ramiro) of San Angelo, Guadalupe Sepeda (Gavino) of San Angelo, MaryAnn Wyatt (Rusty) of San Antonio, 15 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Rafaela’s family members will serve as pallbearers at her funeral, which will take place on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 11:00 AM at Robert Massie Funeral Home.

Rafaela’s family would like to extend a special heartfelt thank you to her daughter Natalia for putting her own life on hold to care for her mother. Also a sincere thank you to the caretakers from Hospice of San Angelo for their compassion and skilled assistance during Rafaela’s final days.