Sylvia Varela Islas
Friends of Sylvia Varela Islas remember her as caring, family oriented and active in the school communities. She died June 24 in a five car pile-up on Highway 30, which police suspect was sparked by a drunk driver.
Her four children, Veronica, Jessica, Jesus Jr., and Angelica, all graduated from J.L. Long Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School, except the youngest, who will be a junior in the fall.
“Sylvia was one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever known. We worked together on some things while [our sons] were at Woodrow, and she always gave her all when there was volunteer work to do,” friend Suzanne Bass wrote on Islas’ memorial page. “Heaven must’ve needed another saint, because she was an angel on earth.”
Islas was a lifelong Dallas resident from a big family. Her life was cut short when she was rear-ended by a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe while driving her 2008 Toyota Corolla, which caused her vehicle to slam into the car in front of her. The driver of the Tahoe, Jorge Valdez-Martinez, 41, fled the scene on foot but was later arrested by the Mesquite Police Department, and has been charged with manslaughter.
Funeral services for Islas will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 6306 Kenwood Ave. Friends have also established a GoFundMe account to collect money for the family to pay for funeral expenses and help them manage this difficult time.
