Oscar Cortez age 87, passed away peacefully on Wednesday Sept. 4, 2019 surrounded by his family. Oscar was born July 17, 1932 in the small town of Encinal Texas to Carolina Navarro and Gumesindo Cortez. He joined the U.S. Army on February 13, 1950 at the young age of 17 and served his country for 20 years, 2 ½ of those years spent in a P.O.W. camp in Korea and also served in the Vietnam War. On July 18, 1954 he married Yolanda Armijo , the love of his life and shared 65 years together. She embraced the life of a military wife raising their children, Guadalupe, Oscar, Thomas, Carolyn, Richard and JonMark, and also surviving his sister, Irene Silva.
During his Army career he earned the P.O.W. Medal, the Purple Heart Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation Badge. Upon his retirement from the Army, He worked for the Northside School District for 20 years. He spent most of his time at home enjoying his 18 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren and enjoyed traveling with his wife to P.O. W. reunions. He was also a Mason, a brother of the Davy Crockett Lodge #1225 and a Alzafar Shriner. He was preceded in death by his mother and father and his brothers, Don, Jesse and Thomas.
Visitation will be at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home on Bandera road on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a rosary at 7:00 P.M. The funeral procession will depart the funeral home on Wednesday September 11, 2019 at 9:00 A.M. for a 9:30 A.M. mass at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 5919 Ingram Road, 78228 with interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with U.S. Army military honors.
