Maria Luisa Contreras Sanchez

MARIA LUISA CONTRERAS SANCHEZ PHARR — On Sunday, February 22, 2015, Maria Luisa Contreras Sanchez, 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family to be with the Lord. Maria Luisa was born on November 24, 1923 to a Pharr pioneer family. She was the youngest of the Contreras family and was affectionately known as ‘Bebe’. Maria Luisa was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who will be dearly missed. As an active member of St. Anne's Catholic Church, she and her husband were dedicated Eucharistic Ministers. She was also a member of the Altar Society for many years. Maria Luisa retired from the PSJA School District after working at Buell Elementary School as the cafeteria manager. Knitting, traveling and gardening were a few of her passions. She is preceded in death by her dear husband of 57 years, Ricardo Sanchez, Sr.; her parents, Dionicio and Luz J. Contreras; her sisters, Rosa Villanueva, Elisa Zuniga, Esther Zamora, and Magdalena Sandoval; and her brothers, Miguel Contreras and Pantaleon Contreras. Surviving family are her seven children, Jose Reyes (Imelda) Sanchez, Ricardo Sanchez, Jr., Emma (Arturo) Garza, and Hermila Sanchez all from Pharr; Elva (Freddy) Ortega from Fort Worth;Margarita (Felipe) Garcia from Austin; and Romeo (Jody) Sanchez from Friendswood; 14 grandchildren, John Ray and Robert Sanchez; Sara, Samantha, and Andrew Sanchez; John and Monica Garza; Freddy and Erica Ortega; Florence Huffman, Jennifer and Jessica Garcia; Blake and Sidney Sanchez; eight great-grandchildren, Justin and Seven Sanchez; Adaen and Liam Sanchez; Emily and Elijah Garza; Ricardo and Mirabella Huffman; along with several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. rosary Wednesday, February 25, 2015, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, February 26, 2015, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Pharr. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens on Sugar Road in Pharr. Pallbearers will be her grandsons John Ray Sanchez, John Garza, Robert Sanchez, Freddy Ortega, Andrew Sanchez, and Blake Sanchez. Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandsons. The family of Maria Luisa Contreras Sanchez would like to extend special thanks to the dedicated and caring staff at DHR and Amara Hospice in Edinburg. Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.