Diana "Dolli" Dolores Salinas

MCALLEN - Diana “Dolli” Dolores Salinas, 71, beloved sister entered into eternal rest on July 29, 2021.
Dolli was born on February 20, 1950, in Alice, Texas, to Ruben Rolando Salinas and Aurora Guzman Salinas. She attended Our Lady of Sorrows School in McAllen from Grades K-8. She went on to attend public school at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School graduating in 1968. She then attended Pan American University graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Theatre.
At the start of her career, Dolli taught Drama at Porter High School in Brownsville, Texas, where she taught for several years. She later became a State Parole Officer in Cameron County. She served as Chaplin for Valley Baptist Hospital in association with the Diocese of Brownsville. Dolli was a member of Women’s Aglow Fellowship for numerous years and was honored to be a key speaker at many conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dolli excelled at these professions, but it was her role as co-founder of Centro Vida-Reynosa (CVR) where Dolli found her calling.
Centro Vida-Reynosa was Dolli’s life and passion. She began her journey in a small garage unit where people would attend to praise and worship. As weeks continued, more people began to attend her worship services, and a bigger room was needed. With the expansion of her parishioners, Dolli made the decision to take in an abandoned lot in Reynosa, and make it their home of worship. During the expansion, the municipality of the city of Reynosa, made a gracious donation of land, where a very large auditorium for Centro Vida-Reynosa was built. That was the beginning of the new loving home for the CVR congregation to praise and worship. Throughout her life, she founded and established several churches, and she went on to preach in more than twelve nations. For more than thirty years, she was the pastor at Centro Vida-Reynosa, and was admired by the city for her energy, love, and guidance for her community.
A lover of arts and crafts, Dolli was known to handcraft personalized gifts for friends and family. She was also known for her home decorating and ability to renovate and repair, often transforming ordinary items into works of art. Her ability to play the guitar at a very young age blossomed as she continued her profession of singing and worship. Dolli was an avid reader of all genre of books and continued to add to her extensive home library which enlightened her outlook of the world.
Dolli was preceded in death by her parents Ruben Rolando Salinas and Aurora Guzman Salinas.
She is survived by her brothers; Dr. Ruben Rolando Salinas, Jr. and Carlos Roel Salinas. Sisters; Brenda M. (Rolando) Gomez, Ana Luisa (+Ricardo) De Luna and Lissa S. (Kenneth) Laughery and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home, Edinburg, Texas. Personal family services will take place on August 6, 2021, between 9 to 11 a.m. Burial immediately following service at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Edinburg, Texas.
Pallbearers will be Roland Gomez Jr., Christopher Gomez, Michael Gomez, Mark Gomez, Jaime Medina, and Rudy Bazan.
Due to COVID circumstances, the family has requested a private service for immediate family and relatives.