Delia Arenas Staten

June 24, 1947 – December 22, 2025

Delia Arenas Staten, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, entered the Kingdom of Heaven on December 22, 2025, in Victoria, Texas, after a courageous three-year battle with cancer, surrounded by the ones she loved. She was 78 years old.  Born on June 24, 1947, in Kenedy, Texas, Delia was the cherished daughter of the late Nieves and Guadalupe Arenas. She was a proud graduate of Kenedy High School, Class of 1965, and went on to attend the Kenedy Vocational School of Nursing in 1966, where she graduated at the top of her class, answering an early calling to care for others.  Delia began her nursing career at DeTar Hospital, where she gained invaluable experience before continuing her lifelong service to the community. In 1969, she joined Citizens Memorial Hospital—now known as Citizens Medical Center—where she spent the majority of her career as a dedicated ICU nurse. She officially retired in 2014, though those who knew her best would say she only retired on paper—never in her heart or mind. Nursing was not just her profession, but her calling, and she served with skill, grace, and a calm presence that brought comfort to countless patients and families.  Even after retirement, Delia’s desire to care for others never faded. She volunteered her time and heart with Hospice of South Texas, continuing to serve patients and families with compassion and dignity. In recognition of her selfless service, she was honored with the Volunteer of the Year award—an achievement that reflected her lifelong commitment to helping others.  Above all else, Delia’s greatest joy was her family. She was a loving and devoted mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and friend whose love was steady, fierce, and unconditional. Her grandsons were the absolute lights of her life, and she cherished every moment spent with them.  Delia was preceded in death by her parents, Nieves and Guadalupe Arenas; her sister, Irene Arenas; and other beloved family members who passed before her.  She is survived by her daughter, DeAnna Loveless, and her husband, Lance, and her beloved grandsons, Gunnar and Max, all of Austin; her partner of 25 years, Ronnie Acosta, who lovingly took the best care of her until the very end; her sister, Evangelina Villafranca, and her husband, Ray, of Seguin; her sister, Gloria Garza, and her husband, Paul, of Kenedy; as well as many cherished nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends who will miss her deeply.

Services will be held on Saturday, January 17. A Rosary will begin at 9:30 a.m., with Mass immediately following, both at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, 605 Karnes Street, Kenedy, Texas. Interment will follow immediately at Loma Alta Cemetery in Kenedy.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Hospice of South Texas for the compassion, care, and support they provided to Delia and her loved ones.  Delia will be remembered for her resilience, her generosity of spirit, and the quiet strength with which she lived her life. Her legacy lives on through the family she loved so deeply and the countless lives she touched through her years of compassionate service.  She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.