Obituary of Lilia del Carmen Vazquez-Nunez

With profound sadness, we share the passing of Lilia Vázquez, age 61, a mother and wife who died unexpectedly on Friday, December 13, 2024 in Houston, Texas. 

Lilia was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She was a fighter, an encourager, an adventure lover, and a decorated marathon runner.  However, her proudest accomplishment was her motherhood.  

She completed many races including the Boston Marathon, NYC Marathon, the Leadville 50-miler, the Texas Independence 200-mile relay, and countless more. She was an invited Elite Runner for the upcoming 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon. She was a beloved member of the Houston running community who enjoyed uplifting others to exceed their athletic and life goals. She loved to hike mountains with her friends and surround herself in nature. Born in Mexico City, Lilia moved to Houston over 30 years ago and was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen in 2021. She was defined by perseverance, hard work, selflessness, and contagious positivity.

Lilia is survived by her daughters, Mariana and Cecilia; her husband, Stephen; her parents, Ángel and Lourdes Vázquez; her mother-in-law Mary Louise; siblings, Yolanda, Patricia, Antonio, Susana, Teresa, Dora, Alberto, and Daniel; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other in-laws.

She was preceded in death by her daughter’s father, Felipe, and her father-in-law, Robert.

There will be a celebration of life organized by Lilia’s running community at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at Memorial Park North Pavilion located in Eastern Glades of Memorial Park E Memorial Loop Dr, Houston, TX 77007. https://g.co/kgs/xerPP97

A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., with a Vigil at 6:30 p.m., on Friday, December 20, 2024 at St. Theresa's Catholic Church, 6622 Haskell Street in Memorial Park in Houston, Texas.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, December 21, 2024, also at St. Theresa's. There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the Mass. 

For the benefit of those unable to attend in-person, please CLICK HERE to view the Visitation and Mass via livestream.

The Rite of Committal will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Glenwood Cemetery, 2525 Washington Avenue in Houston, Texas. The livestream link for burial will be available at a later time through Facebook. 

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.” - 2 Timothy 4:7-8