Mary Vela Garza

Mary Vela Garza, 95, passed away Saturday, September 9,
2023, at her residence in McAllen.
Mrs. Garza died peacefully in her home in McAllen, Texas surrounded by
her loved ones. Son, Aaron, her primary care giver for the last
decade, was by her side as she entered into the Kingdom of God.
Before retiring, Mrs. Garza enjoyed her work in retail as a customer
service representative where her kindness and attentiveness made her a
welcome face to everyone at the Gibson's Courtesy counter. She was
well suited for the position because of her desire to serve others to
the best of her ability regardless of the task. Her work ethic was
remarkable, and she would pass that on to her children.
Mrs. Garza was an amazing cook who taught her children how to hold their own in the kitchen,
who also loved gardening, crossword
puzzles, photography and traveling. Warm or tropical destinations like
Hawaii, Florida and California especially delighted her because of the
natural beauty, most notably, the flora and fauna. Her appreciation
for nature was childlike and infectious to all around her. Although
Mrs. Garza was a gentle and quiet woman, she also loved visiting Las
Vegas. She could sit at the nickel slots for hours but was quite
content to just people watch. She was often heard saying, "Oh, I will
just sit here, and people-watch. I am never bored."
She had an incredible love of music and was raised around it since her father, mother, and brothers all played instruments and sang joyously. Elvis was standard background music in the Garza household, among many others. She attended several concerts with her children of a great variety of acts that included three Dwight Yoakam concerts with Aaron.
As a mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, Mrs. Garza always had time
to spare for her loved ones. She was deeply proud of every
accomplishment and profoundly loving towards each of them. Her
patience and compassion seemed to know no bounds. Mrs. Garza
absolutely adored her grandchildren. She spent countless hours on the
floor with books, puzzles and games scattered around and was known to
hold a baby for hours without moving so as not to miss a moment of
their infancy. Above all else, her faith and spirituality were
pervasive in her words and deeds, which made her a wonderful, sought
out counselor to so many. She was truly a "sweetheart" all the days of
her life.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Joe M. Garza Sr.; parents,
Camilo Vela and Francisca Acevedo Vela; and seven siblings, Camilo
Vela Jr., Olivia Salazar, Raul Vela, Geronimo Vela, Ruben Vela, Amado
Vela, and Viola Perez.
Mrs. Garza is survived by her five children, Joe M. (Graciela) Garza
Jr., Cynthia "Cindi" Guerra, Laura (Arturo) Martinez, Aaron D. Garza,
and Melissa (Gordon) Garza Vansant; seven grandchildren, Catherine
(Martin) Guerra Mercardo, Gisela (Roy) Garza Vento, Giana Garza, Jose
Mario (Angela) Garza, Hannah Vansant, Aaron James Vansant, and
Isabella Vansant; and three great-grandchildren.
"Thank you, Mom, for teaching us how to love."
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. with a 6 p.m. rosary Tuesday,
September 12, 2023, at Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.
Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.