Maricela Saavedra

Weslaco- Maricela Saavedra, 73, passed away on Wednesday, September 12th, 2018 at her home. Maricela was born in Weslaco, TX to Jose Rosas and Felipa Herrera. She grew up in Weslaco with three brothers and two sisters. After graduating from high school, Maricela attended Pan American. She was an excellent student and enjoyed learning, so much that she spent seven years trying to decide what she wanted to do. She worked for the Weslaco School District while attending and soon learned that she had a passion for helping special need children. Maricela became a special education teacher and spent the next 35 years making a difference in these children's lives. Even after retirement, Maricela continued to substitute and volunteer. Maricela was very passionate about her job. She was always volunteering to help the children outside of school. She even had her children helping her. She and son Carlos went to school to be certified in ceramics. This was one her hobbies and they would spend summers teaching the children how to make ceramics. She also was very active in the TARC (Texas Adult Retarded Citizen) foundation where she volunteered. Maricela coached Special Olympics for over 20 years. When Maricela was not working or volunteering, she was raising three children of her own as a single mom. She cared for all of her grandchildren and spent time making crafts and ceramics with them also, Maricela is preceded in death by her parents Joe and Felipa Rosas, her son, Bernabe Saavedra. She is survived by her son, Carlos Saavedra and his wife, Guadalupe, daughter, Liz Serna, grandchildren, Omar Serna, Jennifer Serna, Daniel Gutierrez, Leroy Gutierrez, Felix Jaramillo, Samantha Avila, Michael Avila, and Stephanie Avila, ten great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces.