Dr. Ashley Nicole Garza, MD, born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, on January 31, 1994, passed away on February 1, 2026, at the age of 32. Ashley resided in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she served as a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Ashley graduated from Homer Hanna High School in 2012. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville in 2016. She continued her medical education at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine, graduating in 2021. Ashley completed her residency in pediatrics at Advocate Health Care / Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, from 2021 to 2024, and went on to serve as one of the Chief Residents in Pediatrics from 2024 to 2025. Most recently, she was a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and was pursuing a fellowship in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Ashley will be remembered for her deep love of caring for others and for the meaningful, lifelong relationships she built with friends and family. She and the love of her life, Jose Luis Martinez II, cherished time spent with those closest to them. Ashley and Joe Louie, as he was affectionately known, enjoyed traveling together, hiking, attending EDC music festivals, visiting museums, attending Renaissance festivals, and spending time playing with their loyal companion, Koda Bear.
She is survived by her father Manuel Garza and her mother Rosie Garza, and her loyal companion, Koda Bear. Ashley will also be fondly remembered by her cousins Krystal Garza, Sunshine Garza, Christopher Garza, and Cruz Castillo, as well as her uncles Mark Castillo (Bonny) and Jerry Castillo (Suzie) and various cousins, aunts, and uncles.
She is preceded in death by her aunt, Linda Garza (Rudy), grandma Dominga Salazar, and the love of her life, Jose Luis Martinez II.
A visitation will be held at Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista, Chapel Of Peace, at 125 Mcdavitt Blvd, Brownsville, TX, 78521. The visitation is scheduled for February 10, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
A Union of Love( Ceremonial Marriage) service is scheduled in the Chapel Of Peace on February 10, 2026, beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by the recitation of the holy rosary that will also take place in the same chapel, on February 10, 2026, starting at 7:00 pm.
The following day a Mass will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mary Mother of the Church, located at 1914 Barnard Rd., Brownsville, TX 78520.
Burial will follow from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens, located at 4464 Old Port Isabel Road, Brownsville, TX 78526.
