Maria Elena Rea

MARIA ELENA REA

PHARR – Maria Elena Rea, 70, passed away Monday, July 14, 2025, at Houston Methodist Hospital. She was a remarkable woman whose life was defined by perseverance, resilience, her love of family and her love of God.

Maria Elena Rea was born and raised in Brecha 128, Kilometro 84 near Valle Hermoso, where she lived a simple life as a child doing household chores and making flour tortillas. The eldest of 4 siblings, she always had a heightened sense of responsibility towards her siblings and family as a whole. During her teenage years she spent a lot of time at her Tia Leonor's home where she learned how to sew and acted as a caretaker for her "primos." It was during these formative years that she developed many of the skills—and the resilience—that would later define the woman she became.

When she moved to the United States at the young age of 19, she left her beloved "novio" Gustavo in Valle Hermoso. They maintained a long distance relationship for a while, seeing each other on the weekends only, but they soon eloped and got married. Their journey was filled with hardship and love. They worked long hours, faced financial struggles, but they remained devoted to each other and their three children, Iraida, Gustavo, and Daniel.

One of the biggest challenges she faced came soon after giving birth to Daniel. She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of forty-five with a new baby. The diagnosis was a huge blow to the entire family as they readjusted their lives to ensure Elena had the best chance at surviving this cancer. Her battle was grueling—marked by rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—but through it all, she remained courageous and determined. In time, she beat the cancer and slowly regained her strength, eventually returning to work and continuing to support her family with the same resilience she always had.

Around the same time, her husband Gustavo partnered with her brother to start their own business. In the early years, it was her income as a seamstress that paid the bills and carried the family through. Thanks to her dedication and the collective efforts of everyone involved, the family business steadily grew and became very successful.

Eventually, she retired as a seamstress and began helping with the family business. At first, she faced challenges—she didn’t speak the language and lacked computer skills. But through persistence, asking questions, and learning by trial and error, she gradually mastered much of the behind-the-scenes work. She took on responsibilities like placing orders with vendors, managing payroll, making deposits, and much more.

When she wasn't working she could be found at church or with her family. Maria Elena was a devoted member of the Grupo de Oración at Holy Family Church, where she found strength, community, and purpose beyond work. Maria Elena even served as the group’s treasurer, dedicating her time and heart to the spiritual life that sustained her through life’s many trials. After church, there was the inevitable Sunday morning brunch with her close family where laughs, food and love were always in abundance. Around the table, the stories flowed and time slowed down recharging her for the week.

After thirty years of building and running the business side by side, Maria Elena and Gustavo began preparing for retirement. They started to downsize the company, gradually scaling back operations with hopes of enjoying more free time, traveling, and embracing a slower pace of life after decades of hard work. But life had other plans.

Tragically, her lifelong soulmate, Gustavo, passed away unexpectedly—leaving Maria Elena to carry on and finish what they had started together. This time, she faced the path alone. Despite the overwhelming grief, she remained committed to honoring the dreams they had shared. With grace and quiet strength, she continued the work of closing the store and managing the final chapters of the business they had built with love, sacrifice, and determination.

On June 14th, from a hospital bed she watched the last of the business inventory go to auction. It was a bittersweet milestone, the end of a journey. In the following month, Maria Elena received a second cancer diagnosis—this time, the disease was aggressive and relentless. Perhaps the weight of her grief was too much to bear. Perhaps her heart, still aching for Gustavo, was already on its way to him. Some say love transcends even death—and maybe her beloved Gustavo was calling her home.

While she will be dearly missed, we find solace in knowing that she is now reunited with her beloved Gustavo. Though our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in imagining them together again—at peace, hand in hand, just as they were always meant to be.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gustavo Rea; daughter, Maria Del Refugio Rea; and her parents, Macario and Maria Compian.

Maria Elena Rea is survived by her three children, Iraida Rea, Gustavo Rea Jr., Daniel Rea (Kimmy); three grandchildren, Emilia Sofia Rodriguez, David Alejandro Rodriguez, and Aaron Rea; three siblings, Maria Irene Compian, Francisco Compian (Mari), and Raul Macario Compian (Alicia).

Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. with a 7 p.m. rosary Thursday, July 17, 2025, at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 E. Canton in Edinburg. Funeral service will take place at 12 noon Friday, July 18, 2025, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Edinburg. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr.

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