Rufina Trevino Collazo, born in Port Arthur, Texas, on July 9, 1931, joined her beloved, Joe A. Collazo, in Heaven on September 24, 2016.

Mom was a business professional working for the City of Port Arthur when she met our Dad. They married in 1955, and soon built a house in Groves, Texas, where they lived until Dad passed away in April of 2014.

Our parents raised five children, and Mom was the quintessential homemaker. She was an exceptional cook having mastered all the great dishes of the Golden Triangle – from tamales to gumbo. And, she was also a wonderful seamstress. She and her daughters always had beautiful dresses for holidays and parties. We have great memories of enjoying holidays and adventurous vacations. Our parents were undaunted in undertaking great cross-country car trips, carefully planned by Mom.

The second act in our parents’ lives was being the proud Grandma and Grandpa to their many grandchildren. And, the encore was the gift of living long enough to be the active and loving Gigi and Pawpaw to great-grandchildren.

After Dad passed, Mom moved to Houston to be close to family and spent two happy years at the Treemont Retirement Community.

Rufina is survived by her children Joe Edward and his wife Julie, of Houston, Cynthia Featherston and her husband William, of Houston, Stephen and his wife Debbra, of Tacoma, Washington, Susan Maxwell and her husband, Joe, of Katy, and Robert and his wife Marie, of Cupertino, California, 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 6622 Haskell Street, in Houston, Texas, at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 29, 2016 with viewing to begin at 9:00 a.m.

The Rite of Committal will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Groves, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church, Nursing Home Ministry, 10503 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042.

To leave a tribute or message for the family, please visit josephjearthman.com.