Clara (Mamina) Luz Mieses de Molina transitioned to her next life on the evening of December 30, 2020. On her last night she was comforted by the voice of her daughter, Milagros Coffee, who sang Psalm 121 – the same song played at the interment of her late husband’s (Dr. Rafael Antonio Molina) ashes in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Born June 3, 1928 in Barahona, Dominican Republic, she was the first daughter of Domingo Silverio Mieses and Juana Valderiosa Rosario Mejías. Catholic at birth, as an adult Clara was reborn into her faith as an evangelical protestant and spent the last years of her life practicing at Crystal Beach Community Church.
On May 15, 1947 Clara married her first and greatest love Rafael, affectionately known to his family as Papito. Together they blazed new paths for the family when he became the first in his family to earn an advanced degree in the Dominican Republic. Together they moved from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and the continental United States where they eventually established family practices in Houston and Harlingen, TX.
For Clara spending time with her extended family was one of her greatest joys. She always beamed with joy and proudly kept track of all the big and small achievements of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. One of her favorite past times was visiting and traveling with her family by boat, car, and plane in the United States, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
With her always perfectly coiffed hair and nails and trademark red lipstick, she was the core of family gatherings. No one who has been in her presence will forget the strength of her spirituality and prayers, the animated sound of the bangles with the names of all her children engraved upon them, joyful laughter, and mischievous sense of humor. And nothing brought out her laughter more than a good glass of margarita on the rocks made with the best tequila.
Throughout her long and healthy life, Clara’s proudest achievement was the extended family she and her husband created – their four sons Rafael Jr. (m. Isabel), Eduardo (m. Yolanda), Ramon (m. Milagros), Jose (m. Lourdes), and the youngest and only girl Milagros (Millie m. Marshall Coffee). Clara is also lovingly survived by numerous nieces and nephews, 13 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sisters, Luz Maria, Maria Luisa, and Benilda; and brothers, Daniel, Ernesto, Luis, Max, Abraham, Tirso, and Rafucho.
Thank you to our family and friends who have prayed and supported Clara during her last two years of life with congestive heart failure. We are joyful that she passed gently and peacefully and is now with her great love Papito and in the embrace of our Heavenly Father Jesus Christ.