Nelda Hernandez Travis, a beloved mother, sister, aunt and friend, went home to be with her Savior on Saturday, February 18, 2023, after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 65 years old.
Nelda was preceded in death by her father Pascual Hernandez, her mother Hortensia “Tencha” Hernandez and her brother-in-law Michael “Mickey” Schoffstall.
Nelda is survived by her son Mark Edmund Travis II, whom she affectionally called her “Angel,” her sisters Rebecca “Becky” (Michael+) Schoffstall of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Norma (Len) Vaden and Ruth (Billy) Gaines, both of Corpus Christi, Texas, and her brothers Frank (Brenda) Hernandez of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and David (Nora) Hernandez of Houston, Texas.
She is also survived by her nephews Justin Paul (Julie) Green of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacob C. Hernandez of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, her nieces Desiree R. (Guarionex) Del Orbe of Zephyrhills, Florida, Stephanie N. (Jeremiah Johnson) and Jennifer M. Hernandez of Houston, Texas, her grandnephews Carlos and Marco Del Orbe of Zephyrhills, Florida, and her grandniece Azayliah Kay Hernandez of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
Lastly, Nelda is survived by the newest baby in the family, her grandniece Marella Ruth Green, whom she lovingly called “Miss Beautiful.”
Nelda was born on March 8, 1957, at Spohn Shoreline Hospital. She was the penultimate baby of her six siblings and the youngest girl of the four sisters. She was born and raised in Corpus Christi, graduating in the class of 1975 from Roy Miller High School, where she was part of the Highsteppers Drill Team.
She was a devoted servant of the Lord who was raised in Church thanks to her parents’ strong faith and guidance. Nelda grew up attending the Corpus Christi Tabernacle, where she and her sisters sang in the choir. Nelda also spent time in the praise and worship team at Cornerstone Church in Flour Bluff, where she was part of the congregation for more than two decades.
Nelda was the first member of her family to graduate from college, receiving an Associate of Arts from Del Mar College before achieving a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Corpus Christi State University, now known as Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Upon graduation, Nelda became an auditor at the Nueces County Courthouse, where she worked for 10 years while also having responsibilities in the smaller, surrounding counties. After giving birth to Mark in 1993, Nelda sacrificed her accounting career to have more time at home with him.
In 1998, Nelda accepted a position at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where she worked for 25 years up until her passing. During those 25 years, she became an integral part of the Driscoll Family, embodying the hospital’s mission and values, and quickly turning her co-workers and colleagues into close, lifelong friends.
As a single mother with an only child, Nelda and Mark formed an inseparable bond. Nelda worked countless hours to ensure that her son never lacked anything, always spoiling him instead of thinking of herself, while also making sure she never missed a single science fair, choir concert or basketball game. She was a loving, dedicated and deeply thoughtful parent who would spend her lunch breaks at the First Baptist School cafeteria because grade-school Mark couldn’t stand going the whole day without her.
Thanks to her hard work, Nelda was able to put Mark through college, enabling him to earn a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University and affording him the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Westminster in London, England.
It was Nelda’s tireless work ethic, boundless love and constant encouragement that inspired Mark to dream big and to put God first. She always let him know that there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish if he put his mind to it, and it gave Nelda great satisfaction to watch Mark achieve his personal and professional goals.
“Aunt Nel” was also like a big sister and second mother to her nieces and nephews. She could breeze through an afternoon playing games at the arcade in one moment and offer sage, heartfelt advice the next; such was the nature of her vibrant and youthful personality and caring soul. She was fun, she was hip, she was always there.
Watching her grandniece Marella grow up during the past 17 months was more curative for Nelda than any treatment an oncologist could offer. Just the sound of her voice and the pitter-patter of her feet as she raced down the hall could stop the cancer cells in their tracks.
In addition to raising Mark and looking after her nieces and nephews, Nelda also took pride in her pet dogs. In 2018, she was preceded in death by her beloved Coco, a spunky and spirited Pomeranian mix who provided crucial companionship while Mark was away at college. With Coco by her side, the nest was never empty.
Nelda received a blessing in 2020 when Mark adopted Angus, an affectionate and comforting Greyhound, Husky and Border Collie mix who nourished her spirit on the harshest days of her cancer battle. Nelda loved taking Coco and Angus on tranquil walks and rides down Ocean Drive, often stopping at Swantner Park to enjoy the view and bay breeze.
Nelda was an enthusiastic sports fan, rooting hardest for her San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Astros, and she always enjoyed her spirited sports discussions with her brother-in-law Billy. Nelda and her sister Becky were fortunate to attend all of San Antonio’s home games during the 2014 NBA Finals, witnessing the Spurs lift their fifth NBA championship trophy together.
In addition to sports, Nelda’s biggest passion was traveling. From the Grand Canyon to Waikiki Beach, from the Statue of Liberty to the Eiffel Tower, from Buckingham Palace to the White House, from Madison Square Garden to the Camp Nou and from Niagara Falls to the Colosseum in Rome, Nelda traversed the globe, creating precious memories with her mother, siblings, brothers-in-law Mickey and Len, nephew Justin and son Mark.
Las Vegas was Nelda’s most frequent vacation destination, as she had the honor of covering several USA Basketball training camps held near The Strip. Alongside her son, Nelda worked as a Credentialed Media Member, photographing the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and many other members of one of the most iconic sports organizations in the world.
Even when she wasn’t around superstar athletes, Nelda had a way of making everyone she came across feel like the center of attention. She was a social butterfly, adored by her Driscoll family for her warm smile and lively laugh. The expression “never met a stranger” was a befitting description of Nelda’s inviting aura.
She brightened every occasion, enhancing celebrations with her dedicated and delightful decorative style. From going into the office on weekends to set up for a colleague’s upcoming celebration to decking out her home with ribbons, balloons and cookie cakes, all matching to fit the theme for Mark’s birthday, Nelda always went all out to make others feel special.
At Driscoll, Nelda served a term as a leader of the Fun Bunch, organizing bus trips for her fellow employees to attend Spurs and Cowboys games. She was also the Executive Director of the Corpus Christi Pediatric Society, where she verified memberships and organized meetings and educational talks for the group, among other duties.
Nelda expressed her utmost admiration and gratitude for her Driscoll colleagues Dr. Uduak Etuknwa, Dr. Jaime Fergie and Dr. Ashok Jain and their families for treating her as one of their own for more than two decades.
She also extended sincere appreciation and thanks to Dr. Valentine Enemuo, Dr. Marcos Valdez, Dr. John Roberts, Dr. Mahendra Shah, Dr. Allister Arnold and loyal and dear friend Jo-z M. Cisneros for their reliable compassion and kinship. At Nelda’s specific request, all of the colleagues mentioned above were given the distinct honor of pallbearer.
Nelda was also eternally grateful for her Director Laura Zamora’s everlasting support, as well as Dr. Carol DeLine, Dr. Maricela Gulbronson, Dr. William Reed, Dr. Elena Baber, Dr. Daniel Vije, Cindy Mantineo, Paige Olalde, Yolanda Reyes and countless other members of the Driscoll Family for their outpouring of love, prayers and indelible friendship.
When she wasn’t busy working or exploring the vastness of the world, Nelda’s favorite occasions were family game nights, and she always enriched them by bringing over lottery scratch-offs to distribute to the winners. Her favorite game was Scattergories, and she loved marathon sessions of Skip-Bo and Uno as well.
On most weekends, Nelda and her sisters would get together at Weber Bingo, staying late for the midnight session before capping off the night (or morning) with coffee and people-watching at IHOP.
Nelda, like her siblings, was a true Roy Miller Buccaneer. She proclaimed as much during KRIS-TV’s broadcast of the 2018 Buc Days Parade, when a newscaster stopped her during her march to ask why she was still Highstepping more than 40 years after graduation. Nelda loved marching with her fellow alumni in several Buc Days Parades, and always supported her alma mater, often repeating the famous motto “Once a Buc, Always a Buc.”
Nelda never had trouble finding ways to have fun, but despite her many hobbies and decorated passport, there was nothing she loved more than relaxing in her bed. She followed “General Hospital” for more than two decades, enjoyed dramas like “Yellowstone” and anything on the Hallmark Channel, and indulged in reality TV programs like “The Bachelor”, “Chopped” and “90-Day Fiancé”. She probably knew every scene from “Pretty Woman” and “Maid in Manhattan” by heart.
Music was also important to Nelda. When she wasn’t using her own beautiful voice during praise and worship sessions, Nelda loved to listen to gospel and country music. Her favorite musician was George Strait, and her favorite songs were “The Chair” and “Christmas in Dixie” by Alabama. Jimmy Swaggart’s “Jesus, Just the Mention of Your Name” album was her soothing spiritual soundtrack during all of her chemotherapy infusions.
Nelda could always go for an ice-cold Sprite or Orange Fanta, often pairing them with some of her favorite dishes, such as chile relleno and other Mexican delicacies from Acapulco Restaurant, fresh seafood from Water Street Market and Italian cuisine from Luciano’s Ristorante.
When Nelda was diagnosed with cancer on September 13, 2021, it was a devasting shock. After two weeks of ambiguous GI symptoms, a scan at a local emergency room revealed a mass on her pancreas. The tumor’s location necessitated a procedure to open her common bile duct, which required a transfer to University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
After two biopsies were performed, Nelda learned that she had Mixed Acinar-Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, an extremely rare form of pancreatic cancer with fewer than 400 documented cases in the United States. With such unique tumor biology, Nelda pursued specialty treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas.
During the course of her treatment, Nelda received 21 chemotherapy infusions and 15 blood transfusions. She underwent 10 ERCP procedures and biliary stent placements, eight Cholecystostomy tube exchanges and two portal vein stents procedures. She had numerous emergency room visits and spent dozens of nights in the hospital.
Despite all of this, she retained her full independence, strength and sense of self until the end, even traveling to Atlanta in November 2022 for the Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network’s national patient conference, where she advocated for other patients who have rare cancers.
Faced with an insurmountable diagnosis, Nelda’s faith never wavered, always quick to say, “God is good,” even after receiving news that her organs were failing. She fought tirelessly with bravery and dignity, shocking those who learned she had cancer because her disposition and fervor never reflected the intensity of her illness. Nelda’s belief, vitality and courage remain a true inspiration.
Nelda wished to express her heartfelt gratitude to her son Mark, who accompanied her at every appointment, infusion and hospital stay for 17 months and never left her side; to her sister Becky, who drove thousands of miles back and forth between Corpus Christi and Houston and provided around the clock support and care; and to the rest of her siblings – Norma, Ruth, David and Frank – as well as their spouses and children for their innumerable sacrifices and undying love during the most difficult time of her life.
Nelda’s family would like to offer special recognition and thanks to Dr. Daniel Halperin for his expert guidance and compassionate care, with due acknowledgment for Jeana Garris PA-C, April Thomas RN, Dr. Jeffrey H. Lee, Dr. Ahmad Al Nakshabandi, Dr. Peiman Habibollahi, Dr. Ben Varughese, Dr. Steven Yevich, Dr. David Hong, Christine Tran, and Dr. Eduardo Bruera, all at MD Anderson, and Dr. Thor Halfdanarson at Mayo Clinic for playing vital roles in her journey.
They would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff from MD Anderson’s main campus, MD Anderson’s Sugar Land infusion center, Mayo Clinic, University Hospital in San Antonio, Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctor’s Regional, AAdi Home Health & Hospice, Courtyard Marriott Houston Medical Center and Hyatt Place Sugar Land for their excellent and meticulous service.
Finally, Nelda’s family extends appreciation to Patty Maxin, Reagan Turedi, Claire and Ed Fowler, Dr. Amro Abdelrahman, Dr. Aman Chauhan, Dr. Mark Lewis, Dr. Anirban Maitra, members of the High-Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Support Group and other patients, caregivers and advocates whose dedication and selfless actions ensure nobody fights this awful disease alone.
Nelda outlived her original prognosis by several months, passing away peacefully with her son by her side, and her sisters, brothers-in-law Billy and Len, nephew Justin, niece-in-law Julie and grandniece Marella all comforting her with their presence as she took her final breaths.
Nelda’s loved ones mourn the irrevocable loss of a welcoming and enduring spirit and a loving and cherished soul. She will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege to know her. The beams of Heaven shine brighter having gained a glistening angel.
Nelda’s funeral service and interment will be held on Wednesday, March 8th, on what would have been her 66th Birthday, at Seaside Memorial Park Funeral Home, 4357 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas 78412. The service will begin at 1:30 p.m., with the chapel opening for visitation starting at 12:30 p.m.
Preceding the funeral service will be a visitation on Monday, March 6th, from 5 to 9 p.m., as well as a visitation on Tuesday, March 7th, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a prayer service beginning at 7 p.m. All services will be held at Seaside Funeral Home’s main chapel at the main office building.