Nuria Prendes

McAllen, Texas - Nuria Prendes, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in McAllen, surrounded by her loving family, after a fierce 13-year battle with cancer. She was born on December 30, 1935, in Guantánamo, Cuba, to Pedro and Manuela Boada. She was married to Jorge Gustavo Prendes for 63 years; he preceded her in death in 2023.

She is remembered by her two daughters: Nuria Putnam of Dallas, Texas (widow of George Putnam), and Maelia Davis of Cypress, Texas, and her husband, Angus Davis. She is also survived by the twelve grandchildren she was most proud of: George Anthony Putnam and Tina Putnam (Denton, TX), David Charles Putnam (Dallas, TX), Nuria A. Putnam(Los Alamos, NM), Roger Macin and Haley Macin (Austin, TX), Alex Macin (West Point, NY), Kara Haywood and Tom Haywood (Monroe, GA), Emily Davis (Spokane, WA), Heather Davis (Virginia Beach, VA), and Tania Macin(Mexico City, Mexico).

She was preceded in death by her siblings Juan Boada, Gertrudis Boada, Antonia Boada, Jose Boada, and Maelia Fernandez. She is survived by two siblings, Pablo Boada and Silvina Diaz, both of McAllen, Texas.

Nuria's story began in Guantánamo, Cuba, where she attended Colegio Americano de Guantánamo during the week with all her siblings. It is there that she learned how to speak English. Every weekend, the family traveled by train to their beloved ranch, Puerto Escondido. She often described it as some of the best days of her life. She told stories of riding horses, fishing on their boat-named Nuria-with her siblings, and enjoying the abundant food and fruit from their land.

She met her husband at the Union Club in Guantánamo. As fate-and God-would have it, he rescued her and her friends the following week when their car got stuck in the sand at the beach. They both studied at the University of Havana until the day Fidel Castro's soldiers stormed the campus. Nuria recalled having to crawl on her hands and knees out of the building to escape unharmed.

They were married on April 29, 1960, and built an idyllic life until the government changed everything. Nuria never failed to tell the story of how communism destroyed her once-beautiful island and how everything, including their home, was taken from them. With two young daughters to protect, they made the brave decision to leave Cuba in search of freedom and a better life.

In April of 1969, they were given 48 hours' notice that they could leave Cuba and moved to Spain with only the clothes on their backs. Nuria often shared the fear she lived with as she wondered how they would provide for their daughters in a strange country. She tried to find work in Madrid immediately but was turned away because women were not allowed to work at the time-something that never ceased to bother her and likely one of the many reasons her daughters grew up to be so independent.

In 1970, the family finally received their visas to come to the United States. They lived first in Silver Spring, Maryland, and later in Elizabeth, New Jersey. During those years on the East Coast, Nuria worked at a mattress factory and spent long hours sewing in a cold attic to earn extra money.

In 1975, they made the decision to move closer to family and created a home in McAllen, Texas, where most of Nuria's siblings lived. She worked as an Assistant Manager at Dos Rios textile store for 25 years-a job she loved because of the clients she came to know and the beautiful lace and fine fabrics she enjoyed selling. During those years, she perfected her sewing skills and became known for her eye for design.

Nuria was a natural salesperson and had a special talent for creating formal gowns-especially quinceañera and wedding dresses. She sewed all of her daughters' clothing for many years, including both of their wedding dresses and countless formal dresses throughout their lives. She even stitched a label into each piece that read: "Made With Love by Mama."

When she retired at age 65, she became a Mary Kay consultant and went on to be one of the top sellers in McAllen. Anyone who knew her commented on her beautiful skin, and she proudly credited Mary Kay cosmetics. The truth is, she was naturally beautiful-with bright eyes, a ready smile and a gracious spirit-especially as she grew older and was able to enjoy spending time with friends and family. She was known for her hospitality, and no one could visit her without being welcomed to sit down for pastelitos and a cafecito.

Nuria never had time for hobbies, though she loved playing Rummikub-and she was wicked good at it. She would say her only hobby was talking to her daughters every day and hearing about her grandchildren. She proudly told anyone who would listen that her greatest achievement was seeing her daughters graduate from college, become fully bilingual, and succeed in their careers. She was immensely proud of her grandchildren and always tried to instill Cuban culture and the Spanish language in their lives. She rejoiced upon hearing the recent news about Venezuela and had high hopes that her beautiful island would be freed soon as well.

Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Kreidler Funeral Home in McAllen. A recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin at 7:00 p.m. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in McAllen. Burial will immediately follow at Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen.

This obituary would not be complete without heartfelt gratitude to the remarkable doctors at MD Anderson, especially Dr. Carlos Bárcenas, who took Nuria's Stage IV metastatic breast cancer diagnosis and fought fiercely alongside her. Her medical team-together with her will, strength, and unshakable faith-helped her live for 13 years beyond her diagnosis.

If you are inclined, the family suggests that donations be made in Nuria's honor to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486, or online at MDAnderson.org/Gifts, or to Texas Oncology, 1901 S. 2nd St., McAllen, TX 78503.