Margarita Leal

Margarita Cantu Leal joined the Lord with much devotion and love for God and family on January 9, 2016. She was born October 29, 1927 in Brownsville, TX to Rosa S. and Eugenio Cantu. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Leonel Melchor Leal, her parents, her grandmother, Cruz Salazar, her mother-in-law Raquel "Mani" Delgado and her sons-in-law Dr. Edward Atkinson and Alfonso Cavazos. She was also preceded in death by her brothers and sisters, Maria Aurora and Pete Nunez, Enrique "Lico" Cantu, Federico "Kiko" Cantu, Concepcion "Concha" Cantu, Maria D. Vera, and Leonor and Fred Yates. Also preceding her in death were her nephews, Nem Jennings Bryan III, Leon Bryan, Randy Nunez and her niece, Annie Nunez.
Margarita is survived by her daughters Irma I. L. Cavazos, Dr. Alma G. Leal, Mary H. Leal, and Nydia D. Canas (Carlos) who adored and loved her so much. She is also survived by her grandchildren Mel Cavazos, Debbie Cavazos, Jonathan Melendez, Jeremy Melendez, Enrico Canas and Jean-Luc Canas and her great grandchildren, Zoe Melendez and Connor Cavazos. Also surviving her are her brothers and sisters, Rosa "Lala" (Carlos) Turner, Gregoria "Goya" Cantu, Alfredo "Felo" (Nina) Cantu, Eugenio "Blanco" (Chavela) Cantu and Guadalupe "Pale" Cantu. Her nieces Hilda (Santos) Alarcon and Rachel (Enrique) Munoz and several nieces and nephews also survive her.
Margarita was a devout Catholic who attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Church since she was baptized in 1927. She was so proud of her background and boasted that she had been one of the first babies baptized at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She also liked to brag about being born in "Los Tomates" close to the college, which was part of Brownsville. She attended public schools, but had to drop out in 9th grade to help support her large family. She told intriguing stories about her job as a waitress and cashier at El Jardin Hotel, when it was an exclusive hotel that hosted many famous celebrities that she got to meet. She earned $1.00 a day plus tips, and was highly respected and admired for her integrity and work ethic. Margarita also loved to tell stories about how she met her beloved husband and how she got him placed in jail for pursuing her. Leonel used to say Margarita was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he would ride his bike as "The Wepa Kid," to go look for her after she got out of work. They finally got married in 1950, and she decided to devote her life to raising her daughters and taking care of her husband. Margarita, like Lionel, were devout Catholics whose priorities were to raise their daughters to be devout Catholics and to do well in school so they could have successful careers. They sacrificed so much to provide the necessities for their children. Her daughters remember when she would get up early to warm up the house before they got up to get ready for school. If it was too cold, she would help them get dressed under the covers. What amazed her daughters the most was how smart and committed their mother was, as she spent countless hours helping them with their homework, proofreading papers, coaching UIL spelling and studying for tests. She never hesitated to attend school events to learn more about how her daughters were doing and ways to help them. Her love and commitment for her family and her strength and courage were a true blessing from God. She and Leonel provided a solid family life foundation that made them the best parents in the world.
For most of her life, Margarita was afraid to travel far from home, until she had the opportunity to travel with her family via airplane to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise. She got hooked on traveling and joined her family on many cruises and trips to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Washington, D. C. One of her favorite trips was a European cruise where she visited Rome and the Vatican, Florence, Pisa, Spain and Venice. She also loved Jamaica and Chichen itza, where she was treated as a royal guest. She was looking forward to an Alaskan Cruise this May to see the whales and glaciers.
Margarita was so loved by her family and friends, especially those who greeted her at church every Saturday. She always felt happy after visiting with them and after listening to and seeing Father Francisco Acosta, who she loved very much. After going to church or doctors' appointments, she had a fun time going to restaurants and meeting more people. People always seemed drawn to her and commented on her good humor, positive outlook on life and beautiful face and personality. Her family and friends will miss her dearly, including her beloved cats, Eddie, Baby, Rio and Borina, who constantly vied for her attention and kept her warm on cold days.
Viewing will be held Wednesday, January 13, from 1-7 p.m. followed by a rosary at 7:00 at Trevino Funeral Home at 1355 Old Port Isabel Road in Brownsville. A celebration of life Mass will be officiated by Father Francisco Acosta Thursday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m. followed by internment at Rose Lawn Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Carlos Canas, Jeremy Melendez, Jean-Luc Canas, Santos Alarcon, Enrique Munoz and Damien Escobar.

Visitation

Viewing and Visitation

Trevino Funeral Home North Chapel
1355 Old Port Isabel Rd.
Brownsville, TX  78521
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Rosary

Trevino Funeral Home North Chapel
1355 Old Port Isabel Rd.
Brownsville, TX  78521
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
7:00pm

Service

Funeral Mass

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
1200 Lincoln St
Brownsville, TX  78521
Thursday, January 14, 2016
2pm

Cemetery

Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens
4464 Old Port Isabel Rd
Brownsville, TX  78521