Matilda Lozano

Matilda Lozano—an advocate and fierce protector closed her final chapter on July 14, 2026; with her children by her side, she passed peacefully in her sleep, surrounded with their deep love. She remained fierce to her very last day.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at The Waco Missions, 3316 JJ Flewellen Rd. Waco, TX 76704, with dinner to follow at 12:30 p.m. Visitation will be Friday, July 31, 2026, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. in her Stateroom Suite. 

A trailblazing community leader, Matilda was born in Bellmead, Texas, on November 25, 1946. Raised in Bellmead, she was a graduate of La Vega High School as well as a proud graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB). She dedicated her professional life to public service. After years of serving her community in various roles, she retired from the State of Texas as a Parole Officer. Never one to truly slow down, during her retirement years, she continued to help shape the future of her community as a substitute teacher for Waco ISD.

To know Matilda was to know a woman of unstoppable spirit who refused to sit on the sidelines. She spent decades deep in local politics, fighting tirelessly for civil rights and serving the Latino community. As an active and influential leader within LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), Matilda stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the leaders who paved the way for young Latinos in Waco and McLennan County today. Her legacy of activism, representation, and community empowerment will be felt for generations.

While she fought hard for her community, she fought even harder for her family. Matilda embodied a mother’s fierce love and her children meant absolutely everything to her. She was a "mama bear" in the truest, most protective sense—always the first to stand up and fight for her kids, no matter the odds.

Her generosity was boundless; she would pay all she had, down to her last dollar to her children, equally giving them anything she owned that they admired, it was theirs without a second thought. As giving as she was with tangible items, she was equally as given with her wit. She often made her children paid dearly with antics, driving them bananas every single day. This will be dearly missed and remembered as part of her undeniable, irreplaceable charm.

Matilda had a profound, lifelong love for her roots and took immense pride in her heritage and faith. She was a member and taught CCD for many years at St. Francis on the Brazos, later joining the parish of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She held a deep appreciation for the Native American, Mexican, Tejano, and Chicano cultures.

Music was the heartbeat of her life. Whether it was Tejano, the blues, or the classic hits of the 1950s and 60s, she was always ready to dance and even more eager to take over as the resident DJ. Her family will forever and fondly remember that no one actually heard her play a single song from beginning to end—she just couldn't resist changing the track mid-beat to keep the party moving.

Matilda also loved telling people her age, mostly because she knew that no matter the number, she still absolutely "had it."

She was preceded in death, by her son, Antonio "Tony" Piña, her parents Marshall & Matilde Lozano, and brothers Carlos & Marselo "Sonny" Lozano.

Matilda leaves behind a family wrapped in the warmth of her memory, a community forever changed by her advocacy, a playlist of half-finished songs, and an empty space on the dance floor that can never be filled. She will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never, ever forgotten.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory of Matilda in her Memorial Guestbook at www.WHBfamily.com