Gloria Vargas Gonzalez

GLORIA VARGAS GONZALEZ

PHARR - Gloria Vargas Gonzalez, 81, loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Gloria was born in Pharr, Texas on December 11, 1930.
Her father, Agapito Vargas, mother, Manuela Chapa Vargas, brother, Israel Vargas, sister, Esperanza V. Villarreal, and her loving husband, Guadalupe "Mano" Gonzalez, preceded her in death.

She is survived by her son, Robert (Susan) Gonzalez and daughter, Nelda Peterson; siblings, Hector (Olga S.) Vargas, Olga (Joe) Vela, Elva (Raul) Villarreal, Rosario (Roy) Garza, Raquenel (Oscar) Palacios, Agapito (Alma) Vargas and Linda (Ronnie) Martin, as well as her grandsons, Jordan (Sara) Peterson, Joshua Peterson, Jared (Andrea) Peterson; granddaughters, Stephani (Julian) Ashby and Kali Gonzalez; four great-grandsons, a great-grandchild on the way; plus numerous nieces and nephews.

Gloria was a loving and giving person. While living in Eagle Pass, Texas, she would visit the local nursing home at least three times a week and organized Bingo Sessions for the nursing home patients as well as preparing them special meals.

Gloria served at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Eagle Pass as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Catechism Teacher for a number of years. She was also an Auxiliary Volunteer at the hospital and was a member of the Pan American Round Table. Additionally she served at Piedras Negras Children's Orphanage for many years.
Gloria lived in England for a total of six years, four years in Hawaii and at three military installations in the United States with her husband who was a career military man. While in England, she worked for "The Company" at the American Embassy in London and was employed as a bookkeeper for a construction company while living in Hawaii. In addition, while living in Hawaii, she worked as the executive secretary to Mr. DuPont of the world renowned DuPont Company.

The family extends their thanks and gratitude to her sisters, her friends, her earlier caregiver, Sylvia Rios and her longtime childhood friend, Norma Garza Cobb, for their loving support during Gloria's illness. Thanks also to Autumn Leaves Residential Care Home in San Antonio, Texas and her caregivers, Wilma LaCroix, RN and Eva Magallanes.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. rosary Wednesday, February 29, 2012, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 1, 2012, at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Pharr. Interment will follow at Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery, 2520 Inspiration Road, Mission, Texas. Pallbearers will be Jordan Peterson, Joshua Peterson, Jared Peterson, Michael Palacios, Ruben Vela, Brian Godinez, Omar Godinez and Adrian Godinez.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.