Adelaida "Laya" T. Soto

God looked around His garden,

And He found an empty place.

And then he looked down

upon the earth,

And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you,

And lifted you to rest.

God’s garden must be beautiful,

He always takes the best.

He knew that you were suffering,

He knew you were in pain,

He knew that you would never,

Get well on earth again.

He saw the road was getting rough,

And the hills were hard to climb,

So He closed your weary eyelids,

And whispered, “Peace be thine.”

It broke our hearts to lose you.

But you didn’t go alone,

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home.

Survived by her loving family, Adelaida “Laya”, 85, went to be with her Lord in heaven on December 28^th, 2023, at her residence after a short battle with cancer.  Adelaida was born on September 22, 1938, in San Juan to Daniel and Evangelina A. Tamez.  She attended PSJA schools.  Adelaida worked in the Food Service Department for 20 years at Valley View ISD.

She is preceded in death by her spouse Eliseo Soto Sr., her parents Daniel and Evangelina A. Tamez, her grandson Dustin Tyler Baize and her sister Sulema T. Gauna. 

Adelaida is survived by her sons Roel Soto, Eliseo Soto Jr. of Pharr, Noe (Claudia) Soto of Weslaco, her daughters, Belinda S. (Victor) De Leon of San Juan, Norma Aguilera of Edinburg and Melisa Soto of San Juan.

Her pride and joy, her grandchildren, Joshua Aguilera, Emma Chairez, Danielle Renee De Leon, Victor Gavin De Leon, Mia Serene Chapa and great grandsons Blake and Jake Aguilera.

Adelaida is also survived by her siblings Vilma (+Pablo) Cortez of Grand Prairie, Elena (+Eliberto) Amaya of Minnesota and Anita T. Guajardo of San Juan; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Special Thanks to the numerous Nurses, CNAs and Doctors on the 2^nd, 4^th floors and the 3^rd floor Rehab Center at Rio Grande Regional Hospital.

There were many staff members we grew fond of during her 10 weeks stay, but too many to name.  The Front Desk clerks, Security, Food Service, Case/Social Workers, Lab staff and House Keeping.  They made our 24 hour stays with mom comfortable.

A very Special Thanks to her “Rehab team” who made it possible for mom to go home. (Cesy, Ramon, Jean, Rolando, Thelma, Jesse,  Jesse, Fabi, JC, and Pete).

We would like to thank Dr. Ruby Guajardo, Dr. Hector Soto, and Dr. Luis Reyes for the special care given to our mother.

Also, a very special thank you to her Hospice nurse, Samuel Pacheco and Heavenly Hospice Home Care.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., with a 6 p.m. rosary, Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in San Juan. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr.

Pallbearers will be her sons, Roel, Eliseo Jr. and Noe, her son-in-law Victor De Leon and her grandsons Joshua Aguilera and Victor Gavin De Leon.  Honorary pallbearers will be her granddaughters, Emma Chairez, Danielle Renee De Leon and Mia Serene Chapa and her great-grandsons Blake and Jake Aguilera.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.