On July 17, 2024, our family lost a very special woman, Sylvia S. Villarreal. She was a wife, a mother, a grandma, a comadre, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a nurse. She loved her family, she loved her coffee and sweets, she loved shopping, she loved sewing, she loved playing Texas Hold'em with her grandchildren, and she loved going to the casinos. She was a great cook known for her homemade gravy at Thanksgiving, her menudo, her enchiladas, her mole, her carne guisada, and her Spanish rice, to name just a few. And of course, you cannot forget her rum cakes during Christmas time!

She was born on January 30, 1944, in Corpus Christi, Texas. She met her loving husband, Hilario, in junior high school, and they were married for almost 58 years. She had three children who she raised to be strong and independent, just like her. She was a hard worker who stressed the importance of getting a good education and being able to support yourself. She loved her husband, her children, her sons-in-law, her daughter- in-law, and her grandchildren fiercely, and she took care of us all. Although she is no longer with us, we know that she will always be watching over us all from Heaven. We will forever miss you and always love you…Honey, Mama, Sylvia, Mom, Momo, Grandma, Grammy, Mrs. V, Comadre, Aunt Sylvia.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Santos B. and Ygnacia R. Serna, her brothers, Julian Serna, Jose Santos Serna, Miguel Serna, Jose Jesus Serna, and Martin Serna, and her sisters, Florencia and Juanita Serna, Petra Olvera and Maria Salinas. She is survived by her husband, Hilario C. Villarreal, her daughters Julianna (James) Ybarbo and Julissa (Bill) Ramos, her son, Martin (Cinthia) Villarreal, and her grandchildren, Gabriel, Jillian, Alex, Gabby, Jacob, Mia, and Luke. She is also survived by her sisters Juana (Juan) Ayala and Lydia Elizondo, her brother Luis (Lydia) Serna, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Monday, July 29th from 5-8pm with the Holy Rosary to be recited at 6:30 P.M. at Guardian Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Interment will follow at 1 pm at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery. The pallbearers will be James Ybarbo, Bill Ramos, Luke Ramos, Gabriel Villarreal, Alex Torres, and Jacob Villarreal.