Nancy Nereyda Chavez Peña

Nancy Nereyda Chavez Peña died on January 19, 2021 surrounded by her family. She was born January 11, 1953 in McAllen, Texas, to Feliberto and Maria Elida Chavez. She was raised in McAllen and graduated from McAllen High School in 1972. She was married to Rodolfo Peña, Jr. in 1973, and a year later welcomed her daughter, Erica, who would grow to become her best friend.

Nancy enjoyed traveling, cooking, watching westerns, playing online Scrabble and was a fabulous poker player (taught by her grandmother at a young age) but her true passion was her family. She collected memories the way some people collect coins or stamps. Some of her most cherished memories were eating brunch at Tavern on the Green in New York City and witnessing the arrival of over 200 celebrities for a red-carpet event at the Beverly Hilton. But if you asked her, she would have said her favorite memory was being at the hospital for the birth of her grandsons. They were her greatest love. Her nieces and nephews will remember her sense of humor and her delicious meals. She always had a young spirit and was everyone’s favorite aunt. From being the first one on her block to have the police called for having MTV on too loud in the 80s, to cruising 10th street with her nieces and nephews in her ‘78 Trans Am, young people were always drawn to Nancy. She served in the Young Women’s organization at church, she fed hundreds of LDS missionaries and was a second mother to many of them. She was beloved by all who knew her for her innocent, cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile and her non-discriminative love of all people.  Because of her shyness among strangers, Nancy always went out of her way to make others feel comfortable and welcomed. Nancy once said she didn’t mind going through life being known as Erica’s mother, but what she didn’t realize was that everyone told Erica how lucky she was to be Nancy’s daughter.  Her family has been left with funny anecdotes and Nancy-isms that they will tell for a lifetime such as ‘never make kids work too hard or they might get tuberculosis’. ‘Never pass gas on front of people or they get polio’. ‘Never say you’re bored or I will find something for you to clean’ and many more. She touched the lives of so many and she will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her family – her ex-husband Rodolfo Peña, Jr., her daughter Erica Peña-Vest, her son through marriage Ryan Vest, and her grandsons Samuel and Andrew Vest. She is also survived by her sisters Bilma Chavez, Leticia Contreras, Sayda Call, Sandra (James) Guerrero, and her brother Dagoberto (Irene) Chavez and by her brothers and sisters through marriage – Belia (Rito) Hernandez, Araceli Maribel (Jaime) Padron, Miguel Peña, Blanca Peña, and Alvaro Peña. She is also survived and loved by countless nieces and nephews. She is also survived and will be greatly missed by her forever friends Moses & Susan Massey, Aaron (Collette) Massey and Michael Earl.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Feliberto and Maria Elida Chavez, her brothers Efrain Chavez, Roberto Chavez and Xavier Chavez, her sister Elida “Nellie” Peña, her parents through marriage Rodolfo Sr. and Juanita Peña, her brother and sister through marriage Alma Peña Dominguez and Juan Peña. She is also preceded in death by her best friend Janie Baird.

A private family funeral service (due to Covid restrictions) will take place at 11:00 am Monday, January 25th at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints chapel at 5601 N. 29th St., McAllen, TX 78504, followed by interment at Santa Fe Celestial Gardens in Mission at 1:00 pm.

Services have been entrusted to the care of Rivera Funeral Home of McAllen. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping with social distancing orders, all necessary restrictions will be observed in order to protect the health and safety of those in attendance. Wear face coverings while inside building. Continue to practice social distancing while inside the funeral home chapel. We continue to ask that those at risk or those not feeling well stay home and reach out to the family through our obituary page.

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