Nellie Navarro

Nellie Navarro, age 72, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, February 19, 2022, while surrounded by family in her longtime home of El Paso, TX. From a young age, Nellie was an exemplary caretaker, helping care for and raise her younger sister while her mother worked to support the family. That did not change as she grew older and started a family of her own. Her cooking was revered by friends and family alike – her grandchildren were able to quickly tell apart the taste of “Abuela’s sopita and beans” and the inferior sopita and beans cooked by her daughters. In addition to being a fantastic cook, Nellie was a foodie herself who loved a good spinach pizza and always kept her pantry stocked with a variety of snacks, including Reese’s Pieces, which were her favorite. Anyone who attended the many family functions she hosted at her home, including Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, will always remember being greeted by a smorgasbord of foods and the tune of Oldies, including her favorite song “Angel Baby” by Rosie & The Originals. Nellie was also an accomplished seamstress that often gifted her loved ones with handmade garments and accessories. Canasta, Skip-Bo, and Scrabble were her favorite games, and anyone who happened to beat her was either extremely lucky or cheating. She had a passion for building and growing her collections of antiques, nativity scenes, crosses, clown figurines, cow decorations, beanie babies, and porcelain dolls. Some of her grandchildren’s fondest memories are of spending their childhood summers with her in Majalca, Chihuahua, surrounded by nature, including Nellie’s favorite – hummingbirds. Nellie spent much quality time with her husband of 55 years, working on their home garden and projects around their house. She was an avid traveler, by air, land, and sea, that visited many places around the world together with her husband and on occasion with her children and other family members. She wasn’t afraid of learning to use the latest tech devices to keep up with her grandchildren and the latest trends. Anyone that texted with her on a regular basis knows that she had mastered her iPhone and was a prolific emoji and GIF user. More than anything else, Nellie’s family and friends knew her as someone that could always be depended on to be there whenever needed. Whether it was a baseball game, graduation, or music recital, she always made every effort to secure a front-row seat and often was the primary photographer, filling up many photo albums and filming numerous home movies over the years. She was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, mother-in-law, godmother, grandmother and great-grandmother who had a profound impact on the lives of those around her and will be greatly missed. Nellie is preceded in death by her brother, Lalo Tovar. She is survived by her mother, Ramona De La O; her loving husband, Julio Navarro Sr.; her dearest children, Patricia Chavez (Gerardo), Julio Navarro Jr. (Shannon), Susanne Esparza (Ramiro); her wonderful siblings, Teresa De La O, Yolanda Beck, Rosa Maria Castillo and Robert Tovar; her beloved grandchildren, Ramiro Esparza III, Gerardo Chavez, Adriana Hunt (Rhen), Gabriel Chavez, Gustavo Chavez, Julianna Esparza, Diego Esparza, and Miguel Esparza; and her dearest great grandchild, Hailee Hunt. She is also survived by many extended family and friends who cherish and honor her memory. Services will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2022. The rosary will commence at 12:00 p.m. with the funeral mass following at 12:30 p.m. at Queen of Peace Catholic Church located at 1551 Belvidere St., El Paso, TX 79912. The visitation and a celebration of life will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home-West, located at 480 N. Resler Dr., El Paso, TX 79912. Funeral mass services will be livestreamed (where available) at https://www.facebook.com/sunsetfuneralhome/ To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Nellie Navarro please visit our Sympathy Store.