Armando G. Bermea entered eternal rest on February 21, 2021 in his home, with his family at his side, holding him until God came to carry him away. He is reunited in Heaven with his parents Julian and Catarina Bermea, his brother Julian, and sister Guadalupe Schmerber.
He is survived by his devoted family, his wife of 48 years, Gloria, his daughter Marisol, his son Caesar, daughter in law Mariann, grandson Esteban, and his brother who resides in Texas, Mario Bermea.
Armando (Mando) was born in Rocksprings, Texas and grew up in La Pryor, Texas. Armando was blessed to have known his beautiful wife for almost a lifetime. Theirs is story of young love blossomed into a “forever” love until death did them part. Gloria moved to La Pryor, Texas when she was in third grade, and thus the seed was planted for two hearts to grow through friendship into a special love. Mando, of course, knew a beauty when he saw one, and immediately fell in love with this beautiful girl who was blessed with a radiant smile, and made going to school something Mando wanted to do. As they grew up in this small little town, where even today, everybody knows everybody, Mando pursued to conquer his quest for love with Gloria, and by the time they were both in high school they became sweethearts. They both lived similar experiences with many hardships along the way, supporting their parents who worked arduously in the fields picking cotton and many other crops under the scorching heat of Texas. During the summers, the families would pack up and travel to Minnesota or Montana and labored in the sugar beet fields, commending their tired bodies to 12 hours of backbreaking dedication to help put food on the table, alongside their families. Though the sun pierced down on their backs, they couldn’t help but to take notice of something off the fields that Mando could not resist watching, the cars that drove by in the highway that paralleled the fields. The cars carried suitcases bundled up with dreams of fun. Families fleeing their homes for leisure, and Mando would say to Gloria, “here we labor while they vacation, someday that will be us, going on vacation, instead of working here so hard”.
Their hard labor inspired them to fuel their hopes through an education. They studied hard and aspired going to college to acquire a professional career. Their dreams also included getting married, having a nice car, a home, a family, and maybe someday when all was said and done, travel the world.
At a young age Mando had another dream. To fly. Flying was a passion of his and after high school Mando and Gloria would both attend Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, Texas. Mando enrolled in a Flying School that opened near the town where we were attending college. Gloria left Uvalde to attend Texas Women’s University in the town of Denton, Texas and both continued to pursue their chosen careers while remaining a couple supporting each other’s endeavors. Mando had a great rapport with his flight instructor, so whenever he had to engage in his cross-country hours, he and his instructor would fly Gloria and her roommate back to Denton. It brought a smile to my young pilot knowing that half of the girls from the dorm would wait at the airport, just to watch them land. A thrill beyond anything Mando could have ever imagined while picking the beets off the fields of Minnesota. Gloria beamed with pride and felt so blessed to have her own private pilot. After obtaining his private and commercial licenses to fly, and by this time Gloria had her B.A. in Education, they married each other, with the blessing of their families and God, on December 16, 1972.
Mando struggled to find a job as a pilot and talked to a Border Patrol pilot who thus encouraged him to join the Border Patrol as a stepping-stone to someday applying for a position as a pilot. This path came with its share of challenges, but next thing we knew, our lives would be making a tremendous move. This meant that our family, as we now had two young children, would be leaving the place we called home for so long, that place that had our entire roots, our livelihood, our families, for a chance at a dream. He was hired to work for the Border Patrol in the Chula Vista Sector, a place we had never been to before. Our move to California became the beginning of many opportunities dreamed of, but not at all easy. For a while it felt like we lived a waiting game, working hard and just waiting for that opportunity to come.
Mando was finally given an opportunity to fly for the Border Patrol, but again this would come at a cost, as he had to move to El Centro, a couple of hours away from where we had bought our home. Rather than move and disrupt what we had built together, he left, and the family stayed back so the children could continue with their schooling, and Gloria could continue teaching in a district (San Ysidro), where she had been recently hired.
In El Centro, Mando met and worked with wonderful pilots, and embraced the opportunities he had when visiting his family on his days off. Gloria kept the family together and busy so that the children continue to enjoy their childhood. After 5 years, he was reassigned to Chula Vista and came back home. Mando was an excellent pilot and was highly respected by his colleagues. In 1996 he and his flight partner were named “Agents of the Year”, for saving the life of an agent during a dangerous mission. His heroic actions proved further that this was his calling. Every day he went to work was another day of wearing that uniform he loved so much, because he was doing exactly what he dreamed of. His sacrifices had paid off, and he probably did not realize this, but he was a wonderful role model to all those who dream of flying, because he was proof that dreams could come true.
Then came the biggest change of his life. A grandson. A grandson to love, the greatest love of all, as those of us blessed with grandchildren know, there is not a greater love in the heart of parents, than that of a grandchild. It brings full circle to life.
God was always good to Mando and our family. The blessings were hugs from God fulfilling us with ups and downs, but always at our side to guide us when it got tough. He was lucky to have had the opportunity to retire at a young age to care for our grandson. They were captured together in time, perfectly making memories together, like only few can have. He enjoyed the simple tasks of taking him to school, the laughter, the joy of watching the life of his grandson flourish right before his eyes. Time was a gift given to Mando, and as the years passed, Gloria retired from her amazing career as a teacher. Her contributions to a community she loved and taught for years, gave Mando great pride. The years had been good to them, even with the hard times they had endured.
A life well lived is measured by family and the friends that surround you. Mando made many friends along the way, and now it was time to make those migrant dreams of yesteryears come true, the ones made when you finally retire. We were lucky to travel together as a couple meeting so many people along the way and visited over 35 states throughout our beautiful country. We travelled abroad to Europe and as a devout Marian, Mando loved our Mother Mary so much, that we were able to live moments in the Most-Holiest of places throughout our travels. In all of our wildest dreams, this couldn’t have been more perfect for two people, who God chose to cross their paths together at such a young age, only to be able to stand together in our golden years, counting our blessings and being eternally grateful, until his last breath.
God gives us all a journey to live, well lived gives us blessings that will carry on through family and friends. Mando will never be forgotten, his love for flying, his love for family, a gift to make a garden flourish with the blooms of flowers like no other, the whispers of the wind, they will whisper of your love for each and everyone of us, a man who would go above and beyond to help others along the way.
“You are clear for take-off” my love, to your eternal rest. Taking this, your last flight will be hard for all of us, no doubt, and though there is a great void in our hearts, and pain from our loss, we will carry you forever in our daily existence, until God calls us home to be with you again.
Our love, our life, Armando, you lived a great life, you will be missed, you believed in yourself, and because of this you encouraged others to believe as well. Your eternal rest marked on 2/21/21, begins your new journey, Rest in Peace my love, forever yours, Gloria, family and friends.
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