Antonia Rosales

Antonia DeLaRosa Rosales, 83, went to be with our Heavenly Father on July 2, 2011. She was born on September 3, 1927 in Port Lavaca, Texas to Santos and Adelia DeLaRosa. On June 12, 1946 she married the love of her life, Juan Fernando Rosales, Sr. True to her promise to her mother, she and Juan took care of her younger siblings and later, her father.

She was a stay-at-home mom until her youngest child entered middle school and she then started her working career as a night-shift supervisor for the Corpus Christi Independent School District Central Kitchen. She also worked as a floor supervisor for Ada Wilson Hospital and was a home provider for the YWCA Childcare Program. Mom loved to cook. If anyone came to visit, they knew Tonia would have a spread of delicious food ready. A determined woman, mom decided she wanted to get her high school diploma and graduated with her GED in May of 1979. Mom spoiled her kids and grandkids, doing her best to give them anything they wanted or needed. She was loved by all and will be dearly missed.

Mom was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Janie Vargas; and her brother, Santos DeLaRosa.

Mom is survived by her husband of 65 years, Juan of Corpus Christi; her daughters, Deolinda Rosales of Bishop, Drusilla Rosales and Donna (Reynaldo) Mireles, both of Corpus Christi; her sons, John (Irene) Rosales of San Antonio, Jim (Rachel) Rosales of Dallas, Ray Rosales and Thomas (Laura) Rosales of Wyoming and Corpus Christi, Texas; her siblings who lovingly called her "mom", brothers, Joe DeLaRosa of San Antonio and Ted Herrera of Tucson, Arizona; her sisters, Mary Calles of Phoenix, Arizona, Dora Trevino, Frances (David) Leddy and Julie (Robert) Westbrook all of San Antonio; ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Angel Bright Hospice and Harbor View 4th floor nursing staff for everything they did to make mom comfortable. We would also like to thank Laura, Tom's wife, and Rey, Donna's husband, who tirelessly helped us take care of our mom. But most of all, we'd like to thank Norma Sanchez and Vicki Serrata, our angels sent from God, who stayed at mom's side. Thank you for everything; we don't know what we would have done without both of you.

Public visitation will begin at 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at Memory Gardens Funeral Home Chapel with a rosary to be recited at 7:00 pm that evening. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at Holy Family Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery.