Carmela T. "Carmen" Castillo

BROWNSVILLE, TX. - Carmela T. "Carmen" Castillo entered into eternal rest on Saturday, the 10th of May 2025 at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas. She was 80 years of age.

Carmen was born in Edinburg, Texas on November 26, 1944, daughter of the late Jose Castillo and Francisca D. Castillo. She was a graduate of Brownsville High School Class of 1963 and Texas Southmost College, where she received her Associate of Applied Science and certification as a registered respiratory therapist. A devout Catholic, Carmen was a parishioner of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Her favorite pastimes included bowling, golfing, and her many trips to the casinos in Louisiana and Oklahoma. She was the eldest of her six siblings and was very protective of them all. In one of her last text messages with family, she wrote: "I love all my siblings, you all are my pollitos."

Preceding Carmen in death were her parents, Jose Castillo and Francisca D. Castillo; her brother, Jose De Jesus Castillo; and her niece, Amanda Jo Garza.

Survivors include her sisters and brother Encarnacion "Chonita" Leal (Richard Grome), Frances Garza (Manuel Diaz), Maggie Castillo, and Max Castillo; her lifelong friend, Mary Lou Gonzalez; and her eight nieces and nephews as well as numerous grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, the 15th of May 2025 between the hours of one o’clock in the afternoon and nine o'clock at night, with the recitation of the holy rosary to begin at seven o'clock Thursday evening within the East Chapel of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home.

A Chapel Service will commence at ten o'clock in the morning on Friday, the 16th of May 2025. Interment will then follow, via an escorted procession, at Buena Vista Burial Park, 5 McDavitt Boulevard, Brownsville.

Honored to serve as her pallbearers will be Jose Damian Castillo, Manuel Leal, III, Hilario Contreras, Manuel Diaz, Robert Betancourt, and Robert Betancourt, Jr. 

Honorary pallbearers are Martinel Leal, Jr., Guillermo I. Garza, Jr., Joshua O. Garza, Jose Antonio Betancourt, Jr., and Arnulfo Castillo.

Memories of Carmen may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com.

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey, CFSP and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111.