Tributes

On the 6th day of February 2025, the “sunshine” of our lives was dimmed by the loss of our beloved and graceful, Estella Otila Laurel. Our earthly loss was overwhelmed by Heaven’s triumphant reception and celebration awaiting her when she was rewarded with God’s welcoming embrace. Since her only true love, Hector V. Laurel, Sr. went home before her, sadness and her illnesses had caused her limited mobility. She was well cared for at her home. In her last years she was in a calm cocoon state of mind and body, but Our Lord Jesus watched over her and helped her to emerge like a beautiful butterfly to her new life. She was the second of five daughters that God gifted Genoveva S. and Manuel J. Ramirez. She was born on August 9th, 1947. She graduated from Burbank High School in 1965. She played the saxophone in the Bulldog Marching Bank. Her true love proposed to her at Municipal Auditorium on graduation night. She attended San Antonio College. She became a mother of five children, Hector V. Laurel Jr. (Bianca), David Laurel (Michelle), Luis Laurel, Lisa Laurel Garza (Raul) and Raquel Laurel. She was very devoted to so many special community projects, and/or jobs of kindness and talent. She was a teacher of the RCIA program, served as a lector, a Eucharist Minister and involved with the Bereavement Services at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church for many years. She worked with the youth of San Antonio with the JOVEN group. She was someone who was not only intelligent, she was also very wise and had incredible common sense. To so many of us she was our “Mother Goose”. We never knew when she would break into her songs of “Old Dan Tucker” or “Lindo Pescadito” or start whistling the Burbank alma mater. After her husband worked as an HEB truck driver, he decided to open and operate a trucking business. Hector and Estella were partners, first with rigs that hauled containers or dump trucks that transported all types of materials. Later they owned and operated interstate rigs that worked for many companies across the 48 states. After their children graduated high school, she went with him on the road. He taught her how to drive an 18-wheeler rig. Together they went all over the continental U.S. They “christened” more than 20 trucks. They also opened and operated a preventative maintenance shop here in San Antonio. They always lived and loved the Southside of San Antonio. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two sisters (Genoveva Bonugli & Dolores Pesina) and her beautiful grandson David R. Laurel who accompanied his grandma and grandpa on their final trip to Las Vegas. She is survived by two sisters (Elvira Ramirez & Celia Castro), who will love her cherish her until they are reunited. She is survived by two brothers-in-law, all 5 children, 8 grandchildren, many Godchildren, and nephews and nieces and their children, who love her. We would like to give thanks to the many caretakers who helped care for her during her last years, especially her niece, Iris, son, Luis and Liza. They cared for her so wonderfully. We are also grateful to the hospice nurses, aides and chaplains from Alamo Hospice and Vitas Hospice. Volumes can be written about her. If the love of her LIFE could sum up a tiny bit of everything, it would be to say, “Estellita you were ALWAYS “The Wind Beneath My Wings” welcome to the next chapter in our journey together”.

Tributes

Estella Otila Laurel

August 9, 1947 - February 6, 2025