Bertha Cantu Canales

BERTHA CANTU CANALES SAN JUAN- Bertha Cantu Canales, 86, joined our heavenly Father on February 6, 2013 at her residence in San Juan, after a lengthy illness. “Bert" graduated from PSJA High School in 1945 and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, class of 1949. She was fluent in six languages as she intended to work as an interpreter at the United Nations in New York. She later attended Pan American College earning her teaching certification and started her career with Donna ISD, and also worked briefly with PSJA ISD. She also earned her Special Education certification and worked as a Special Ed/Resource teacher with McAllen ISD until she retired. As a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in San Juan, she was also a CCD teacher for many years. She was a gifted artist, accomplished pianist and an avid crossword puzzle enthusiast. She influenced all those with whom she came in contact, but her greatest joy was as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Vanessa; parents, Aristeo ''AB" and Lucia Etienne Cantu; and her sister, Lydia Cantu. Mrs. Canales is survived by her devoted husband of 62 years, Jesus A. “Chuy” Canales, of San Juan; five children, Armando, of St. Petersburg, Florida, Edmundo (Anna), of Mission, Duane R. (Alicia), of Plano, Texas, Joel Aaron and Carla Canales, both of San Juan; and three grandchildren, Eric, Kevin and Christina Canales, of Mission. Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. with a 7 p.m. rosary today, February 8, 2013, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 9, 2013 at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen. Her grandchildren will serve as pallbearers, along with her nephew, Arturo Perez, and family friends, Sabrina Patterson and Mike Martinez. Honorary pallbearers will be Ernesto Alvarado, Mario Cantu, Rudy Garcia, Rick Garza, Julio Guzman, Sonny Martinez, A.W. Tobin Jr. and Ruben Yzaguirre . The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Dona Cooper-Dockery, Dr. S. Jagadeesan and their staff, All-Valley Home Health Care staff and her personal caregivers, Maria, Francis, Toni and Martha. Bert will be greatly missed by her family and friends, whose lives she has touched forever; she has made an everlasting impression in our hearts. She is singing with the angels now as she has finally made it home with our heavenly Father. Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.