Maria Esther Padilla

On March 10, 2008 Maria Esther Padilla left to be with Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. While she was with us she worked tirelessly for Him at Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church and at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Canutillo, TX. She served as a Communion Minister, taught Pre-Baptismal classes, Religious Formation Classes, and devoted most of her time to ministering to the sick. She was one of the first graduates from Tepeyac Institute. Esthercita was born in Pixley, California on April 20, 1925. She and her family moved to Chihuahua, Mexico when she was 5 years old. There she married Guillermo Smith Montenegro from Matamoros, Tamaulipas and they lived in Matamoros until his death in 1950. She and her daughter moved to the El Paso area in 1952 and lived in Canutillo, TX and El Paso until her death.Esthercita was a seamstress at heart and could design, make the pattern, and sew anything she or the people she loved needed. After retiring from working in the garment industry for 38 years, she and her husband, Gaudencio Padilla, owned and ran Padilla’s Grocery in Canutillo, TX. After Lencho’s death she attended El Paso Community College and eventually taught Arts and Crafts with the Senior Program. In March of 1995 she was honored by! Que Bonita Familia! as The College Student for her dedication in working to get a degree in her senior years. She also taught prayer workshops with Talleres de Oracion y Vida for 25 years. She loved to sew, but she learned that her true calling was to teach everyone she met by her example to love and serve Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.She was preceded in death by her parents Rafael and Emilia Dominguez, her beloved sister and brother, Piedad Rosales and Ruben Dominguez, her three nephews, Roberto, Carlos, and Abraham Rosales, her husbands Guillermo Smith Montenegro, Jose Manuel Alcala, and Gaudencio Padilla. She is survived by her only child, Mary Esther Smith, granddaughters Melorie and Melissa Padilla, nieces, Martha Thompson and Rosie McCoy, five great nephews and many great-grand nephews and a great-grand niece.Mrs. Padilla’s viewing will be on Wednesday March 12, 2008 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM with rosary at 7:00 PM at Mother Cabrini Catholic Church, 12200 Vista Del Sol, El Paso, Texas 79936. Funeral Mass will be on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 10:00 AM at above mentioned church. All services will be officiated by Rev. Frank Lopez. Private interment will be held at a later date.Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Homes - Americas.