Adele Ornelas

Adelmira Torres “Adele” Ornelas, born September 9, 1935, passed away quietly in her sleep on September 13, 2026. Across her 91 years, Adele built a life defined by devotion, loyalty, and a strength that never wavered. She protected her family with her whole heart, loved her husband and children with unwavering commitment, and met life with a spirit that was both stubborn and beautifully bold.

Adele loved her husband, Dan Ornelas, with everything she had. Their marriage was a partnership built on deep affection, shared routines, and a lifetime of companionship. For 50 years, they made their home in Washington State, spending countless days driving together through its forests, mountains, and winding roads—simple moments that became cherished memories. After half a century there, they moved back to Amarillo, Texas, carrying with them the love and history they had built.

She spent many years working as a presser at One Hour Cleaner, a job she took pride in and transformed into an act of love. For anyone who stayed in her home, her first question was always whether they had laundry she could wash—a gesture that became her unique love language. Caring for others through her hands, her work, and her attention made people feel welcomed, tended to, and deeply loved.

Adele was also an exceptional cook, known for meals she never wrote down, all of which lived in her memory. She cooked the way she lived—with instinct, generosity, and heart. Anyone who asked how she made something was met with patience and joy as she taught them step by step, passing down traditions that will live on in her family’s kitchens forever.

She was preceded in death by her father J.A. Torres, her mother Irene Jimenez, and her sons Raymond Torres and Jose Montez.

She is survived by her husband, Dan Ornelas; her children, Margie Ruiz, Linda Coy and her husband, Steve Coy, JoAnn Montez, and Irene Gans and her husband, Dean Gans. She leaves behind 16 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 19 great-great-grandchildren, all of whom carry her strength, her stories, and her love forward.

Forever Loved. Forever Remembered.

Memorial Services will be held on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 11:00 am at The Loft Church, located at 4400 S. Georgia St., in Amarillo.