“Someday you will read or hear that Carlos Meza is dead. Do not believe a word of it, I shall be more alive than I have ever been. I will just have changed my address, as I will have gone into the presence of God.”
Celebration of Life and Visitation for Missionary and Pastor Carlos Meza, of Bossier City, Louisiana, will be hosted by Haughton Baptist Church on Saturday, October 3, 2020. Visitation will be from 9-11am and the celebration will follow immediately after. Pastors Gevan Spinney and Justin Haigler will be officiating. Pastor Meza will be buried on Monday, October 5th, with full military honors at Northwest Veteran’s Cemetery in Keithville, Louisiana.
Pastor Meza passed away on the morning of September 29, 2020, at 84 years old. Our tremendous loss was his glorious homecoming. We are at peace knowing he has entered into heaven and has heard the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
Carlos was preceded in death by his parents, Maurilio and Maria Meza, brothers, Felix Meza, and Rudolfo Meza, and sisters, Mona Casanova & Cruz Meza.
Carlos was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 20, 1936 to Maurilio and Maria Meza. Carlos was a Golden Glove Champion (1954), graduated from Burbank High School (1956), and was ordained as a Pastor on March 18, 2007 by Rick Edmonds.
Carlos served in both the United States Army and the United States Air Force. At the age of 17 he joined the US Army serving three years, later joining the Air Force Reserves. Carlos often said, “I traded a fox hole for a desk.” He was transferred to Bossier City, Louisiana, in 1982. He retired, after 38 years, from Barksdale, AFB, 307 (HR) Red Horse Division as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer and from Federal Civil Service where he served as Information Management Specialist. He was proud to have served and received many awards and medals of recognition.
He came to know Christ on July 14, 1979, after meeting his wife, Lupe, who shared salvation with him. Carlos loved the lord and served him faithfully for 40 years. He was a member and active Deacon of First Baptist Bossier City. Following the Lord’s Path for his life, he was appointed by Calvary Baptist Church, in 2007, to be Pastor of their mission church, Iglesia Bautista del Calvario, where he served as Pastor for the last 13 years. Carlos planted two Hispanic mission churches; one at Haughton Baptist Church and the other at New Zion Baptist Church in Bossier City. The most important thing to him was leading people to Christ. He traveled all over the world on many mission trips with the Louisiana Baptist Convention and different churches from Bossier City and Shreveport. The places he went included Mexico, Brazil (17 times), Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Guatemala, to insure these lives heard the gospel and would accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
He was highly active in the Southern Baptist Convention where he served in numerous positions. Carlos was presently serving on the Louisiana Baptist Convention (Missions Support Committee)and made history by being appointed the first Hispanic 2nd vice president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in 2017.
He was actively involved in his community. He passed his love of baseball and Jesus, not only to his son, Samuel and to other young children through Little League, but also to his grandchildren, Carson, Daniel, Sophia, Kingston, Noah, Knight and Nash. He was a translator for the Bossier Parish School District and Federal Courts. Carlos also served as Clergy for Willis Knighton Hospitals.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 40 years, Guadalupe Salinas Meza, his children, Cynthia Ann Espinoza of Oklahoma City, OK, Frances Espinoza Boggs (David) and Samuel Federico Meza (Kristin) of Bossier City, Cynthia Meza and Carlos Meza, Jr. both of San Antonio, Texas, 17 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren and many others who knew and loved him.
Pallbearers will be his grandsons: Jacob Anthony Ficek, Daniel Meza Boggs and Joseph Robert Gaitan Jr., son, Samuel Federico Meza, son-in-law, David Glenn Boggs and Juan Perez. Honorary Pallbearers will be Bill Ledbetter, Hector dela Cerda, Edwin Ambrocio, Emilio Quijada, Miguel Guillen, Pastor Wayne Dubose, grandson Carson Boggs, Carter J. Boyd, and John Milkovich.
We would like to say a special thank you to Carter J. Boyd, MD, Paul Cole, MD, and St. Joseph’s Hospice (Nurse Emily) for their compassion and care during this time.
You may share your moments with the family by visiting www.hillcrestmemorialfh.com Hillcrest Funeral Home.
We encourage everyone to wear light colors to celebrate the life of Carlos Meza, per his request.
