Guillermo I. Gonzalez

Guillermo I. Gonzalez, age 77, of San Antonio, went to be with our Lord Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Guillermo was born on March 26, 1936 in Morelia, Michoacan Mexico. He moved to San Antonio in 1953 and married in 1963. Mr. Gonzalez served his country in the U.S Army. He was employed with S.H. Kress for 22 years and retired from Sears after 22 years of service. He was a parishioner of St. Luke's Catholic Church, where he was an usher and an active member of the St. Luke's Men's Club for over 30 years. Guillermo was past president of Sembradores of San Antonio, Hispanic educational scholarship foundation. Together with his wife, he was an enthusiastic member of this organization for many years. He enjoyed music, singing, traveling, and was a coin collector. Most of all, Guillermo loved his family and friends and always looked forward to celebrating and spending time with them.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Jose Gonzalez and Evangelina Izazaga Gonzalez; brother, Jose Octavio Gonzalez; aunt, Sister Paz Gonzalez of the Teresian Order; and numerous other relatives. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Evangeline Cortez Gonzalez; son, William Gonzalez and wife Andrea; daughter, Patricia Pedraza and husband, Antonio; grandchildren, Deandra, Antonio, Sabrina, Alexandra, Joseph, Isabella and Ava; siblings in Mexico, and numerous other relatives.

The family requests that any charitable donations be made to the Sembradores of San Antonio Educational Foundation in honor of Guillermo Gonzalez.

Guillermo understood his purpose in life. He was a man dedicated to providing for and raising his family in a Christ-centered home. When Guillermo was 16, his father passed away in Morelia Michoacan, Mexico. He was the oldest of 8 children and needed to provide for them in the absence of their father. With limited opportunities in Mexico, he came to live with his father's sister who was a Teresian Nun at St. Teresa's on S. Presa St. It was there where he began his journey toward American citizenship. He worked at several jobs before becoming old enough to join the US Army at 19. Upon joining the Army, he trained at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and then served overseas in Germany. During this time, he sent the majority of his earnings to Mexico to help support his mother and brothers and sisters. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, he returned to work for S.H. Kress on Houston Street. After 22 years at Kress, he went to work for Sears Roebuck and Co, as a sales professional at Central Park Mall where he won numerous sales awards year after year. He retired from Sears in 1997 after 22 years of service. Guillermo also gave of his time as a volunteer, along-side his wife, Vangie, working diligently for over thirty years as a member and past president of the Sembradores of San Antonio Scholarship foundation to help provide scholarships for local needy college students. Through this organization, he enjoyed numerous events, fundraisers, and celebrations with many wonderful friends and fellow members, whom he cherished. He was very active in his beloved St. Luke's Catholic Church, where he was a parishioner and member of the St. Luke's Men's Club, again dedicating his time and enthusiastic participation to serving the needs of the church and parish. He will be greatly missed as a faithful usher at the 11:30am Sunday mass.

Guillermo met his wife, Evangelina Cortez, in the early 60's. They were married on July 20, 1963 and were soon to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Guillermo had been looking forward to this celebration with family and friends. For it was through this marriage that he and Vangie became partners in life's wonderful journey, during which he was an example to others as a faithful husband, and a man of quiet humility, gentleness, integrity, and genuineness ~ Guillermo was a true man of faith, who lived everyday as a blessing, serving God, his family and his friends. Guillermo and Vangie had 2 children, William (Memo) and Patricia (Paty), and 7 grandchildren, whom he loved and adored deeply. To each of us, he was Guillermo, Dad, Grandpa, Tito Memo, brother, uncle and friend ~ We will miss him forever, until we are united with him in Christ. May God grant eternal rest unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him.

Visitation will begin on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Lukes Catholic Church.

ROSARY

MONDAY

JULY 8, 2013

7:00 P.M.

ST. LUKES CATHOLIC CHURCH

4603 MANITOU

MASS

TUESDAY

JULY 9, 2013

10:00 A.M.

ST. LUKES CATHOLIC CHURCH

Interment in Mission Burial Park North.