Carmen  Alanis, 70, of Lafayette, passed away from cancer, peacefully Monday, October 19, 2020 at The Springs. Her sister-in-law, Dalia was at her side when she passed at 10:25 a.m. The Springs brought a lot of joy to Carmen. She loved the facility, the people, and the activities. She enjoyed inviting her family to the lunches that The Springs provided. She loved to socialize with the staff and residents, exchanging stories of her loved ones.

Carmen was born October 30, 1949, in Harlingen, TX, to the late Taurino and Irene (Garcia) Perez. She was raised by her aunt. Her older brother will miss his baby sister. Sharing laughs with her and enriching their bond as siblings. She met her husband, Ciprian Alanis Jr. also known as “Apple”, in 1969 when he rolled by in his fancy car. Their courtship led the couple to marriage on January 23, 1970. The couple enjoyed spending time with each other.  Traveling for Apple’s hobby as a car enthusiast. The couple enjoyed the Neon Cactus for date night. They would love Country Line Dance nights. On August 8, 1983, they welcomed their little girl to the world. Jennifer remembers how spoiled she was by her parents not only by toys but mostly by their love. She traveled with them often to many places by car because her parents did not fly. Mr. Ciprian Alanis Jr. preceded her in death on June 16, 2018.

Carmen worked as a Phlebotomist at St. Elizabeth hospital from December 11, 1978 to November 1, 2014.  Her favorite part about drawing blood was the frequent requests she would get from patients. There were many who would wait for Carmen in order to get their blood drawn because she was simply the best at it. Her kind heart, gentle touch, and ease of approach made getting blood drawn seem easy. Carmen never met a stranger and never met anyone who didn’t love her.

Carmen delighted in bingo and scratch off tickets. She loved the WLFI news casters and her “shows” that she would watch daily. Jennifer’s favorite memories of her include her pretending to be sick to join her mom at work. She remembers Carmen’s work environment to be fun, exciting, and lots of play. There was a space for Jennifer there with video games, coloring, and a robot. Jennifer also remembers her mother being very protective over her. She remembers that her mom would stand up for her no matter what the situation may be. Carmen always had her back.

As a sister, her brother and her inlaws remember her as a kind and loving sister. A great cook. She would spoil the family with delicious dishes she would make for them. Some of her husband’s siblings were very little when Carmen married into the family. Many of them remember her making them breakfast and getting them off to school. Her sister-in-law spent many hours, weeks, and years laughing, talking, crying, and encouraging each other.  Her grandchildren will miss her warm hugs, encouraging words, and how she spoiled them. As an aunt, her nieces and nephews remember her as funny, compassionate, and a good listener. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her. She was strong in her faith to Jesus Christ and everyone sits in peace knowing she is with our savior.

Surviving is her daughter Jennifer and her husband, Arturo Avila of Lafayette, IN, grandchildren Mateo, Andres and Teodoro “Theo” Avila.  Also surviving is her brother Juan Perez of MI.

Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday at Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel,  400 Twyckenham Blvd.   Service will be at 10:00 am on Friday, at Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel., Fr. Jeff Martin officiating.  Interment will be at St. Boniface Cemetery.