Gilberto Vela

Gilberto Vela, 85, of Edinburg, TX entered into eternal rest on Thursday, October 3, 2019. He was born on February 23, 1934 in Pharr, TX to the late Porfiria Rodriguez Vela and Jesus Vela. He graduated from the original PSJA Bears in 1953. Gilberto served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. After serving his country, he returned back to Texas to marry his "Tenchita". They then moved to Chicago, IL and attended Devry Institute of Technology where he earned his degree in Electronics. For the next 20 years, their family grew while he worked at the Zenith Plant where he worked his way up. After the plant was closed in 1978, he moved his family to McAllen, TX where he worked at the Maquiladora in Reynosa as an IQC manager of Zenith, the first Hispanic to do so. Our father had a tremendous work ethic and instilled that onto his children.
He is preceded in death by his siblings Bridget Vela, Lupita Alvarado, Celia Delgado, Anastacia Gonzales, and Reyes Vela; and a nephew Victor Vela.
Gilberto is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 61 years, Hortencia Trevino Vela; his children Gilberto (Angela) Vela, Jr., Xavier (Carmen) Vela, Diana (Rogelio) Pena, Hilda (Miguel) Murphree and Oscar (Sandy Montez) Vela; grandchildren Sarah, Briana, Ellie, Adam, Emily, Marissa and Nicolas; great-grandchildren, Reagan and Monroe Cody; his siblings Emilio, Carlos, Jesse Vela and Mary Salazar; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m., with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 6, 2019, at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 East Canton in Edinburg. Funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, October 7, 2019, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr.
Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.