Dora Elda Pena

Dora Elda Peña, 79, of Mission, TX, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 16, 2026, after years battling frontotemporal dementia.

Dora Elda was born on March 22, 1946, to Liverato and Dora F. Corpus in McAllen, TX. She grew up in Mission, TX, a block away from El Mesias United Methodist Church, where she was baptized, confirmed, married and raised in faith, and where she brought her own children to know God. The church served as a second home and a backdrop for a life centered around faith, service, family and community.

Dora Elda valued education and reading. She graduated from Sharyland High School in 1964 as an active member of the yearbook staff and the Future Homemakers of America. She was the first in her family to attend college and graduated early, in only three years, in 1967. As a student at Pan American College, now The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, she worked at a restaurant and later, at Slover’s Pharmacy to put herself through school. She rode public transportation to get to and from her classes. Her dedication paid off when she earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, launching her career as a teacher.

Dora Elda impacted young lives for 32 years as a preschool teacher and bilingual educator, teaching with compassion and love. She often addressed emotional and material needs of less fortunate students who came to her from all walks of life and from difficult situations. She landed her first job with the Wilson Migrant Program in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (MCISD). Her role included traveling out of state for migrant summer programs. She taught at Castro Elementary, Bryan Elementary and Mims Elementary before retiring from MCISD in 1999. During that time, she also taught Sunday school at El Mesias and baked Communion bread for church services.

Dora Elda met the love of her life, Antonio Peña, at the Mercedes Stock Show and Rodeo in 1967. They married on December 20, 1971, and had two children, Elda Iris and Antonio David. They built a family-first life, centered around faith, service, hard work, community and travel. Dora Elda created a home filled with special moments, memories, traditions and love that was extended to her entire family when she hosted family gatherings for holidays and celebrations.

Dora Elda did not slow down in her retirement. She co-founded the El Mesias Food Pantry in 2001, which fed countless families in need. She volunteered at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, visiting pediatric patients and knitting caps and blankets for hospitalized babies and children. She helped establish a Spanish program for the Walk to Emmaus, a Christian spiritual retreat, which did not exist in Spanish prior to her group’s work on a translation. The first Spanish Emmaus Walk was held in Puerto Rico.

Along with her husband, she became a world traveler, visiting six out of seven continents and dozens of countries. Travel highlights included New Zealand, Singapore, China, France, Italy, Spain where her family has roots, Switzerland and her last cruise in 2017 to Norway and the North Cape. One of her most significant journeys was to the Holy Land in 2012, which was a destination she had hoped to visit her whole life. She often said she couldn’t believe she was visiting the places she had only read about in books.

Dora Elda held many titles and roles in her family, church and community but she was overjoyed to be called grandma, welcoming her only grandchild, Jacob Antonio, in 2012. She spent time diving into his interests of superheroes, Legos and cartoons with warmth, care and love and always made sure she baked a fresh batch of his favorite chocolate chip muffins.

Baking and cooking was Dora Elda’s love language. She will be remembered as much for her recipes as for her well-lived life. Family favorites included her chocolate cake, pumpkin cake, chocolate chip banana muffins, blueberry delight, capirotada and sourdough bread. Her menudo, meatloaf and chicken salad were also family favorites.

Dora Elda is survived by her husband of 54 years, Antonio Peña, her children, Elda Iris Peña (Israel Bustos), Antonio David (Lisa) Peña and grandson, Jacob Antonio Peña, her brothers, Urbano (Esperanza) Corpus, Eduardo Lee (Janie) Corpus and sister, Marilu Liesman, sister-in-law, Graciela (Jose) Arredondo, brother-in-law, Niceforo (Diana) Peña, her Aunt, Gloria Martinez and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Liverato and Dora F. Corpus.

Services will be held at El Mesias United Methodist Church, 209 East 6th Street, Mission, TX, 78572, Friday, January 23, 2026, with visitation from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Church services begin at 11:30 a.m. with burial to follow at Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery, 2520 Inspiration Road, Mission, TX, 78572.

In lieu of flowers and in memory of Dora Elda, the family requests donations to El Mesias United Methodist Church, or the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD). The links for any donations will be placed below the obituary.

You can also honor Dora Elda’s memory by performing an act of service for someone in need or by baking for your loved ones.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. J. Matthew Johnson and the caring staff of Legacy Home Health for their excellent care and support in Dora Elda’s final years.