Rosemary R. Vela, 75, of Bay City, Texas, passed away Friday, June 6, 2025, in Katy, Texas. She was born on December 21, 1949, in New Gulf, Texas.

She was devoted to Jesus Christ and her strong faith. Her family was her pride and joy and always found time to call everyone on a regular basis to find out what everyone was doing on that particular day. Although Rosemary was accomplished in many areas during her career, her proudest accomplishment was being an advocate for her community. She was the director of the Bay City Housing Authority for 15 years and established the first model for Section 8 Housing utilized in several states by HUD. She was a sports fanatic and watched her Houston Astros faithfully.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Oralia Cantu Rodriguez, and her grandmother, Rosa Cantu. She is survived by her siblings, Betty Mungia (Pete), Roland Rodriguez (Linda Gonzalez), Blanca Howes (Robert), and Brenda Rodriguez (J.R.); children, Deborah V. Garcia (Justo), and Kelly Vela; grandchildren, James Ryan Kazan, Jax Hardwick, J.D. Garcia, and Jaylynn Garcia; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

The family will receive relatives and friends for visitation from 9:00-10:00am Monday, June 9, 2025, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Bay City. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00am with Rev. Gabriel Espinosa officiating. Interment will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery. Pallbearers for Rosemary will be Robert Howes, Matthew Mungia, Keith Rodriguez, Gary Kidder, Mike Ruiz, and James Ryan Kazen.

Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.taylorbros.net