A Canvas of Her Own

Life didn’t feel beautiful when TCDRS retiree Kathy Perez lost her father, a talented painter, in 2021. However, the dedicated nonprofit worker has since created a wonderful life for herself in retirement, surrounded by the love of her friends and family and the legacy of her father’s artwork.

Story and cover photo by John Martin

Walking through the home of Kathy Perez, there’s hardly a wall unadorned with a painting. Colorful birds, barns, bonnets and butterflies are encircled by intricate wooden frames. But these frames hold more than paintings in Kathy’s eyes. They each hold a precious memory of the artist, her late father, Alberto Meza.

A Legacy of Beauty

Two of Alberto’s paintings of one of his favorite subjects: birds.

Kathy was born in 1959 and raised in San Antonio with one sibling. Her father made a living as a barber and artist, and her mother first worked at a local elementary school and Sears, and eventually retired from Kelly Air Force Base. “I kid people that I was in daycare back in the 60s, a time where moms didn’t work very often,” Kathy says.

While Kathy’s father continued to be a business owner at his barbershop until he retired in 2019, he loved to paint. His watercolor paintings depicted all sorts of nature themes, but wildlife and landscapes were the most common. “He would travel around Texas down by the valley and different cities to art shows, and his paintings were featured at Laguna Gloria in one of their Fiesta years,” Kathy says. “It was his life, and it was his love. I’m so proud of him and what he was able to accomplish.”

Alberto passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. “It’s been very difficult for me,” Kathy says. “His studio and art palette were the same as he left.” But being able to look around her house at his artwork and the beauty he left behind has helped her grieve.

Framing Her Future

In 1984, Kathy started working at the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), a TCDRS employer. She stayed with AACOG for 10 years before switching careers to support a Medicaid waiver program for the state that served people with disabilities. She finished out the last 18 years of her career at Social Security and retired her TCDRS account in 2022. “When I turned 62, I just decided, ‘You know what? I’m going to enjoy my life!’” Kathy says.

Since she’s lived in San Antonio her whole life, Kathy has a hard time feeling lonely. “I’m really blessed,” she says. “I have lifelong friends from high school, work, church and more. I still have my mom, who’s 87 years old. She still looks great and gets her hair and nails done.”

After spending her career in the non-profit sector, Kathy has maintained her social work license and volunteers with her church, working as the treasurer for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. “I just have the heart to help people,” she says.

Kathy and her friends also make a habit of getting together around rodeo season to dress up in their hats, jeans and boots to go shopping and see the San Antonio Rodeo. “It’s our girls’ day!” she says.

As her husband will soon be joining her in retirement, they’ve started planning their vacation list and she’s looking forward to getting on the road.

Just like the paintings in Kathy’s home, Kathy’s life is a vibrant mosaic of love, memories and resilience. While she faces the quiet ache of loss, she’s surrounded by the lasting legacy of her father’s love and has embraced the new chapter of her retirement with joy and intentional time spent with friends and family. Her story is a reminder that, while time may pass and seasons change, the beauty of a life well-lived is something that lasts forever. 

Left: Alberto Meza. Right: Another of Alberto’s paintings.

After her father’s passing, a collector reached out to Kathy’s family trying to buy more of his art, but you can’t put a price on a beloved memory. “He never had a formal education, but he was good with money and was able to leave an inheritance for our family and college for the grandkids,” Kathy says. “He left us a legacy that I will always remember and take with me.”

Community