Maurelia Mancera Paez passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026.

“Buela, Wicha, Mrs. Paez” as she was affectionately called by so many lived a quiet and simple life. She overcame many obstacles in her life, including her parents and siblings’ shared experience of living in Laredo through the Great Depression, starting a young family with her husband Ramiro Paez Sr. and overcoming his unexpected passing while maintaining her independence to carry on. She learned to live beyond the loss of her three children – Patricia, Ramiro Jr. and Ricardo – and found strength in the love of her family and close friends.

Maurelia had an uncanny entrepreneurial spirit and reaped financial success from her many talents. She was a talented seamstress with established clients for tailoring, dressmaking and custom Halloween attire and was a decorator who crafted seasonal items with sass and a glue-gun. Ms. Paez was a skilled baker of all treats including her infamous pineapple upside down cake, hojarascas, and cupcakes. Christmas celebrations were marked by an annual large-scale operation to cook tamales and later share with friends, neighbors and passersby’s.

She commanded and gave respect to everyone, at times brutally honest, but always with a tinge of love and empathy. Maurelia loved coffee and pan dulce, dining out at Whataburger with all the toppings, Tejano and traditional Mariachi music, playing loteria, weekend carne asada, and her favorite color was purple.

Ms. Paez was a devout Catholic and completed many trips to San Juan de los Lagos, supported her parish at Mother Cabrini Church and prayed the Holy Rosary on a daily basis.

She is preceded in death by her husband Ramiro Paez Sr., children Patricia Paez Pacheco, Ramiro Paez Jr, and Ricardo Paez Sr., parents Antonio Mancera and Nieves Mancera, siblings Alfonso Mancera Sr. and Florentina Mancera Trisket.

She is survived by her grandchildren Ramiro (Cynthia) Paez III, Jessica Paez, Grizelda (Richard) Guzman, Gustavo (Miriam) Ricalde Jr, Edgar (Oscar Guerra) Ricalde, and Ricardo Paez Jr, great-grandchildren Rochelle Paez, Ramiro Paez IV, Andria Paez, Samantha Martinez, Gustavo Ricalde III, Gianluca Ricalde and Gianna Ricalde. She will be missed by her siblings Maria Teresa Mancera, Anna Gonzalez, Lydia Mendiola and Luciano Mancera. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter in law Griselda (Arnulfo) Zapata and son-in-law Roberto (Martha Trevino) Pacheco.

A special thank you is offered to La Frontera Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and its staff, Dr. Luis Benavides and Mr. Brunner for their care of almost 5 years. Ms. Paez lived her final years in dignity due to the care provided by supportive staff and caregivers.

Loved ones can honor her memory by doing as she would: inviting your neighbor for a cup of coffee, driving a friend to a doctor's appointment, preparing a large meal for the sake of calling loved ones to grab a to -go plate and offering a prayer for the sick and frail.

She will be greatly missed and is now in the warm of embrace of her loved ones in Heaven.