Carmela "Carmen" Zapata

1958 - 2020

McAllen - August 11, 2020, Carmela "Carmen" Zapata entered her eternal rest at McAllen Medical Center.

Carmen was born on August 3, 1958, to the late Cruz Zapata and Inocencio Zapata in Mission, TX. Carmen was a faithful and honest person to anyone and everyone, especially her family. There wasn't a time you didn't catch her without a smile or slipping in a joke to lighten the mood. She was a loyal disciple of God and had a heart of gold, humbling those in her presence with kindness.

As a sister, we remember her always as a loving, caring individual who would without hesitation give the shirt off her back to those in need. She had many friends at the Day Care where she spent a good amount of her time at. If she wasn't sparking up a conversation with some of the patrons, she was enjoying a game of bingo.

Carmen never married, nor did she bear any children of her own, but she did take on the responsibility of nurturing and caring for a family member we all knew and loved, Juan Zapata or "Primo". She became his legal guardian after his mother and father passed on and cared for him until his unfortunate passing on April 18, 2019. Despite this loss, she still had her four pride and joys, Bella, Slinky, Canelita, and Sandy. She is also preceded in death by her two brothers, Miguel and Juan Zapata; and a sister, Rosa Garcia.

She is survived by six siblings, Santiago (Jenifer) Zapata, Francisca Zapata, Pablo (Cipriana) Zapata, Maria (Isadore) Pena, Rafael (Gracie) Zapata, and Sandra (Armando) Contreras; numerous nieces and nephews; and her step-father, Emilio Perez.

Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, September 12, 2020, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Interment of cremated remains will take place at 2 p.m. at La Piedad Cemetery in McAllen.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.