Cleotilde Rangel

Sept 25, 1924 - May 11, 2017

Cleotilde Rangel passed peacefully from this life to the next at home in the same bedroom that her mother had used during her last years. She will be remembered as a woman of strong will who became head of the household at the young age of 18 when her father suffered an incapacitating injury that led to his untimely death. She steered her eight younger brothers and sisters through their youth, providing a home for her family and the means for those who chose to pursue higher education. She was proud to be the Salutatorian when she graduated from Martin High School and spent the rest of her life advocating for higher education to family and friends. As her brothers and sisters began their own families, her home remained the center of holiday celebrations.

Cleo was known as the purveyor of fine footwear, first at Sam Sullivan Shoes in Richter's and then at Scooti's Shoes. Later she was named manager at Guarantee Shoes where she gained national recognition as a regional sales leader. This led her to open her own store, Cleo's Shoes & Stuff at Mall del Norte. After the 1980s peso devaluation, Cleo embarked on a new career path that sent her to California, Colombia, Florida, Mexico and Venezuela for many years.

She was a woman who minced no words, whose strong opinions were motivated by a respect for family, for one's self, and for reaching one's fullest potential. She held everyone to a high standard of respect, comportment, and enterprise. She was a generous benefactor to many family members, and she maintained strong friendships throughout her life. She loved and adored her cousin Marta Medina Dodier, with whom she shared her childhood and a lifetime of conversation and laughter.

Cleo was preceded in death by her parents, Enrique R. and Santos M. Rangel, her siblings Raul, Enrique, Jose Francisco, and Antonio (Elizabeth) Rangel, and her brothers-in-law, Wayne Ringbloom, Roman Sepulveda, Bruce Bennett, and Javier Laurel.

She is survived by her siblings Carmen Ringbloom, Luisa Sepulveda, Arnulfo Rangel, Marta Bennett, and Maria Juliana Laurel, and her sister-in-law, Maria M. Rangel as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and their families.