Virginia De La O

Peña

With heavy hearts, but strong faith we announce the passing of our mother, Virginia De La O Peña. She joined our heavenly Father in heaven on November 11, 2026, in Alpine, Texas.

A faithful and beloved member of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Virginia was born October 10, 1940, in Terlingua, Texas and was the oldest of ten children born to the late Roman De La O and Jesusita Molinar De La O. She lived a life of prayer, service, and love, an example her family strives to follow in our own lives. She was a proud member of the Guadalupana Society and tirelessly served on the church’s bereavement committee.

A 1959 graduate of Alpine High School, she married Coach Higinio Peña shortly after. A dedicated Alpine educator himself, he encouraged her to get her master’s degree in education from Sul Ross State University a year after she graduated with a bachelors in elementary education.

Ms. Peña began her career teaching ESL in Fort Hancock. She taught 2nd grade in Alpine and Fabens. During her career, she served as director of the Title VII Bilingual Program in Fabens and K-3 Curriculum Director in the Socorro District. After eleven years teaching in monolingual classrooms, she accepted a position teaching in a 2nd grade bi-lingual classroom in Tornillo. She often said that the most rewarding event in her career was looping with this group of 2nd graders. At the end of their 3rd grade year, her students had the most improved test scores in El Paso County. The story run by the El Paso Times was a source of great pride for these students, their families, and the Tornillo community. She maintained that their work ethic and family support were the driving forces in their success.

Virginia is preceded in death by her parents Roman and Jesusita; husband, Higinio; son, Mike; and siblings Linda, Alfredo, Alicia, and David.

Survivors include brothers Claudio (+Margaret), Robert (Yolanda), and Roman (Rosario) De La O, sisters Clelia Fite (Skeeter) and Celia Anderson(+Ron), and children Lissa Rivera (Juan), Gino Peña (Nina), and Purple Peña (Karen).

She was lovingly known as Nana to her grandchildren Miguel, Roman, Santos, Anyssa, Andrew (Erin), Caleb (Lizzie), Micah, Marco (Kim), Joseph (Rachel) and her great-grandchildren Thomas, Jude, Elian and Riley and another great-grandchild who are on the way.

Nana and Papo’s house on the hill was the warm and loving center of family gathering where love and grace were given in abundance. Her kitchen was a place where friends and family enjoyed her delicious cooking which included recipes handed down from her mom and her beloved Mama Vita and those she’d perfected in her own kitchen. She’ll be remembered for her profound Catholic faith rooted in a lifelong devotion to St. Jude, the patron of lost causes, and to the Rosary.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Our Lady of Peace Guadalupana Society.

Services will be on December 12, 2026, at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Alpine, Texas. Visitation begins at 9 AM, followed by the recitation of the most Holy Rosary at 9:30 AM by the Our Lady of Peace Guadalupanas. The funeral Mass takes place at 10:15 AM and a funeral meal will be provided in the Parish Hall after the Mass.