Dalia Bofill de la Paz

 Dalia Bofill de la Paz, affectionately known as Abby to her grandchildren, passed away at the age of 88 on February 3, 2025. She was widowed after 33 years of marriage to her loving husband, the late Ciro Valerio de la Paz. She is survived by her 5 children, Dalia, Elaine “Betty”, Eduardo “Ed”, Patricia”Patty” and the late Cirito and their spouses Lazarro, Michelle, and Errol; 7 grandchildren Katie, Joseph “Trey”, Lindsay, Kerri, Olivia, Max, and Alex; and 12 great grandchildren, Gavin, Kaleb, Caiden, Isabella, Ethan, Eli, Giuliana, Presley, Gabriel, Kendall, Brady, and Wyatt. Dalia is also survived by her 3 siblings, Eloina, Xiomara, and Genaro, and their large loving extended families that mostly reside in Southern Louisiana and Southern Florida. Several years after Ciro’s passing, she began a relationship with her loving late partner, Jose Echagarruga, which enriched our lives for 25 more years. 

Within 5 years of arriving in the U.S., despite the language barrier, in order to help earn enough to live in a better neighborhood, and to have a nice home, mom went to work at a geological laboratory. She was quickly identified as a leader, and was assigned as the department head. She was always protective of her team, which were largely Hispanic women. Mom was always a very unselfish person, that sought to care for others. When she saw someone in need or in crisis, she would do whatever she could to help. For example, she worked at the Archdiocese of New Orleans for 9 years ministering to the Hispanic community with the goal of improving the quality of their lives, for which she was recognized. 

Mom made a huge sacrifice to leave all her belongings and her beloved home country of Cuba to immigrate with her husband and kids to New Orleans, to give us a better life. This meant leaving her parents, siblings, and other loved ones behind. In New Orleans, she re-united with her sister, Xiomara. The bond with the family that was left behind was never severed, despite the barriers. It was 17 years before she was able to see any of her family again in a visit to Cuba. Fortunately, much of her family has immigrated to the U.S., and we have great family gatherings. 

Mom’s home was always the center of our family gatherings. She made all of the family feel at home. She nurtured another home in southern Louisiana full of love, where most of her kids and grandkids reside, largely because mom was an attractive force that drew everyone towards her. Those that weren’t near, longed to be near. She was a source of happiness and vitality for most of her life that made others want to be with her. She loved dancing, gardening, cooking, traveling to visit family, caring for others, and gathering with friends. 

She was a resilient and great role model for all of us that left a positive legacy. She was a spiritual and charismatic person with a strong faith in God. The gates of heaven were opened for a new angel.

 Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the chapel of Mothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Expwy, Harvey, LA on Monday, February 10, 2025 at 1pm. Visitation will be held on Monday from 11:00am until 1pm. She will be laid to rest next to her husband and our dear father, the late Ciro de la Paz at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, 1225 Whitney Avenue, Gretna, Louisiana. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to view and sign the online guest book at www.mothefunerals.com.