Juanita P. Alvarado

EDINBURG – Juanita P. Alvarado, 98, entered eternal rest on Friday, November 14, 2025, surrounded by family and friends.

Born in Kenedy, Texas, Juanita made Edinburg her lifelong home. She married Doroteo M. Alvarado, and together they shared 50 years of marriage. They raised three children and built a life rooted in love, faith, and family.

A devoted member of Templo Bethel CLADIC, Juanita lived her faith every day by praying for others and participating in church activities and conventions from coast to coast. She worked at Donna Fruit Company for 40 years before retiring.

Juanita was the heart of her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Her warmth, strength, and unwavering faith touched everyone who knew her. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her family. She shared her love through the meals she prepared, especially her famous tamales, chile guisado and legendary papas con huevo. Adventurous by nature, she enjoyed traveling, camping, and cruising, visiting Boise at 94 and taking an unforgettable trip to Alaska.

She was known for hosting her annual Christmas Eve party, a tradition she cherished. She enjoyed drives to the beach, visiting her daughter in San Antonio, sharing meals with friends after church, and attending local football games, where she especially loved halftime and watching the bands perform. She loved cheering for the Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys. Many will remember her sitting on her swing, enjoying a raspa, and waving to neighbors and friends passing by.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Doroteo Mario Alvarado; her parents, Jose and Santos Perez; two sons, Mario Arturo (Minerva “Minnie”) Alvarado and Jose Rene “Ronnie” Alvarado; and three sisters, Marta Balderas, Rosie Espinoza, and Elida P. Gonzalez.

Juanita is survived by her loving and devoted daughter, Dora Estella Alvarado; three granddaughters, Marisa Alvarado (Dr. J. Aaron) Cook, Marina Annette Alvarado, and Jacqueline M. Duran (Aaron) Gonzales; her grandson, Robert “Bobby” (Stacy) Zuniga Jr.; and five great-grandchildren, Christian Elias Cook, Siena Elisa Cook, Joshua Zuniga, Kennedy Gonzales, and Zoe Gonzales. Her legacy of love and faith lives on through each of them.

Visitation will begin at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. prayer service on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 E. Canton Road in Edinburg. Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Templo Bethel in Edinburg, followed by interment at 11 a.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park.

The family would like to thank the staff of Allstate Hospice and her caregivers, Zulema Perez, Marcela Henao, and Maria de Jesus Sarmento, for their compassionate care and support.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.