Doris Erazo-Figueroa’s beautiful soul met our Lord in heaven on August 8, 2024, at age 91. Doris was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She was born on April 14, 1933, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She lived her adult life in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and spent her golden years in Orlando, Florida with her youngest daughter Sandra, her son-in-law Francisco “Paco,” and their three children, whom she helped raise. Due to her influence, they’re all bilingual and enjoy Puerto Rican food and culture.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Francisco and Guadalupe, her sister Alicia, her brother Francisco, and her son René.
She is survived by her sister Olga; her daughters Dora, Maria, and Sandra; her grandchildren, Bella, René, Jessica, Jeanette, Francisco, Luis, and Carlos; her great-grandchildren, Brandon, Bianca, Genesis, Issac, and her great-grandchild David.
Doris loved her children and grandchildren passionately. She ensured that their every need was cared for and always wanted to give them better lives than she was afforded growing up. Doris always gave her 110% in any task. As a lunchroom cook, she would clock in early to prepare sofrito (a Puerto Rican spice blend) to use in dishes she would serve to grade school kids. The meals would turn out so delicious that teachers who usually bring their lunch would eat the meals Doris prepared for the children. She was humble, kind, polite, trustworthy, hardworking, and very independent. No challenge was too big for her. She was always willing to teach anyone who wanted to learn something from her with ample grace and patience. Her favorite book in the Bible was Psalms, and she read a verse every morning. Her hobbies included gardening, cooking, watching martial arts films, boxing fights, historical dramas, wildlife documentaries, and tennis matches (her favorite players were Nadal and Alcaraz). She loved animals, especially elephants. She would collect elephant decorations only if their trunk was raised; otherwise, she would not like them. Once, she rode on the back of an African Elephant, an experience she immensely enjoyed and remembered fondly. New Year’s and Thanksgiving will never be the same without her rice with green beans, pigeon pea rice, flan, and tembleque, a treat for many family members and friends. Her Puertorican rice pudding, of perfect texture, will be hard to recreate. Her family loved her dearly, and future generations will know the love she instilled in the lives she touched.