Dates
Our family lost its heart and soul on March 26, 2026, when Isabel Gatica Salazar, better known to everyone as "Chavela," passed away at the age of 92. Born on July 8, 1933, to Natividad Gatica and Gavina Perez Gatica, she was the true rock of the Salazar family.
Chavela was never one to sit still. She worked as a housekeeper at La Quinta for 33 years and she didn't even think about retiring until she was 81 years old. She worked hard her whole life, but she also knew how to have fun. In her younger days, she loved going to play bingo and every fall, you could find her cheering for her favorite team-the Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing meant more to Chavela than having her family under one roof. Almost every summer, her house would overflow with kids and grandkids as she hosted her birthday bash, celebrating some of her children's birthdays right alongside her own. Those summer days, filled with laughter and a house full of people, were her happiest moments.
Chavela is reunited in heaven with her parents; her daughter, Rosa Salazar; her sisters, Elpidia Mares and Gera Torres; and her brother, Joe Gatica.
She leaves behind a huge family that will miss her every day. This includes her children: Robert Salazar and wife Maribel, Roy Salazar and wife Sally, Abel Salazar and wife Sylvia, Albert Salazar and wife Deana, Andrew Salazar and wife Roxanna, Alex Salazar and wife Aurelia, Ruben Salazar and wife Diana, and Linda Ruiz. She is also survived by her sisters, Beatrice Mejia, Janie Carrasco, Anna Fitchett, and Rosalinda Lucio. Chavela was the proud grandmother of 38 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren, and many great-great-grandchildren. They will all grow up hearing stories about how strong she was and how much she loved them.
Public viewing will be from 12:00 PM until 4:00 PM Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Robert Massie Funeral Home. Memorial Service will immediately follow at 4:00 PM, March 28, 2026, a Robert Massie Riverside Chapel. Arrangements are under the direction of Robert Massie Funeral Home.