Rafaelita Cardenas, 90, of Bishop, passed away peacefully on
February 15, 2026, in Kingsville. She was born on July 23, 1935, in
Bishop, Texas, to Lazaro “Peewee” and Elida Garcia. A lifelong resident
of Bishop, Rafaelita was deeply rooted in the community she loved.
Rafaelita dedicated over 40 years of service as a banker with First
State Bank of Bishop, where she was known for her kindness,
professionalism, and warm smile. She was a devoted and faithful member
of St. James Catholic Church, where her faith guided her throughout her
life.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Lazaro “Peewee” and Elida Garcia, and her sister, Esther Gonzalez.
Rafaelita leaves behind a loving family who will cherish her memory:
her devoted husband of 51 years, Santiago “Jimmy” Cardenas Sr.; her
three sons, Rolando (Delma †) Garcia, Santiago (Rita) Cardenas Jr., and
Jaime F. (Christina) Cardenas; her cherished grandchildren, Corrina
Garcia, Rolando Fidel Garcia, Cody James Lerma, Laura (Manuel)
Santibañez, Ruby (Brandon) Limas, Sydney Garcia, Eric Garcia, Royal
Garcia, Abygail Marie (Raziel) Soliz, Santiago Cardenas III, Jaime
Cardenas Jr., Jennifer Marie Cardenas, and Javier Cardenas; her beloved
great-grandchildren, Rachel, Hector, Audriana, Eden, Hayden, Jazlynn
Rae, Raziel Ezekiel, Zaira Marie, Azalee Mae, Blake Anthony, and
Adrianna Elizabeth.
Visitation was held on Thursday,
February 19, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at Ramirez-Salinas
Funeral Home, with the Holy Rosary to be recited at 10:00 a.m. A Funeral
Mass was celebrated at 12:00 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church,
with Father Sebastian officiating. Burial followed at St. James
Catholic Cemetery.
Rafaelita’s legacy of love, faith, and dedication to her family will live on through them and all who were blessed to know her.