Diana Esparza Quinones

Diana was born in Driscoll, Texas on October 11, 1940. The family lived in Alice, Texas where she married Jesse R. Quinones in 1959. They then moved to Mission, Texas, before settling in Baytown in 1965. Her journey began with a brief illness that escalated until God, in his divine mercy, took her home.

Diana raised 5 wonderful children, and then quickly became “mom” to everyone in the neighborhood. There was always food at the dinner table for everyone and always time for someone needing a soft shoulder or a receptive ear to the problems of the day.

Diana went back to Lee College after her youngest child started 2nd grade, from then her career began to develop. She was able to find the right job, the right training, and the right person with the workable skills for anyone needing a job. The contractors and subcontractors were so eager to hire people with the right skills that they used their own people to provide manual training five days a week for a short period of time that they’d quickly hire those that looked promising. These were people that Diana had met when they would come to the office looking for jobs with little or no job training. Diana continued to encourage those that wanted to succeed. This program escalated when Harris County CETA came in with two wonderful directors that extended the program to include teaching ESL and ABE. Diana was thrilled. This was what she had always wanted, that everyone who lived in this country should have a job, should know English, and that every one should have a dream, a skill, and an education. She continued to teach English to those who did not have knowledge of the Language. She left that agency to get her teaching degree. In the meantime, she opened a business office, primarily for income tax services, which turned out to be a center for referral services of all types. Those problems that could be resolved there were. Those that could not were sent to others. She recently received the Masonic Lamar Award of 2005. Diana raised five wonderful children. She embraced life and people with a heart overflowing with unconditional love. Always a giver with a ready smile, Diana was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her parents Pedro Esparza and Ercilia Benavides; brother, Jose Rene Esparza; sister, Delia Trevinio.

Left to mourn her are her husband Jesse Quinones; children Imelda, Frank (Hernandez), LaMar, Marco Antonio (Santos), Araceli, Everardo (Garcia), Jesse Jr., Maria (Quinones), Luis Rene Quinones; a grandchild she raised, Mark Anthony Quinones; a great grandchild she raised, Brittney Diane Quinones; other children who lived in her house for many years, Sandra Hernandez and Roy Gallardo; grandchildren, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Lee, Jennifer Diane Hernandez, Julisa Yvette, Natalie Kristine, Daylan Antonio Santos, John Lee Guajardo, Johnny Adan Meza Everardo Jr. , Kimberly Diane, Brianna Michelle, Joshua Emanuel Garcia, Laura Elaine, Steffanie Ann, Nicolas Jesus Quinones, Danny Dominic, Veronica, Paul Escobar, Andrew Ray Sandoval, Luis Rene, Bianca Marie Quinones; great grandchildren Mark Anthony Quinones II, Hayden Allean Shostak, Jayden Allen Holguin, Makaylie Michele Meze, John Angel, Celisa, Christian Rodriguez, Xavier Escobar, and Angelisa Escobar. She is also survived by her two sisters, Estella Tovar, and Amelia Garza.

Her family will receive friends at Navarre Funeral Home Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. A funeral mass will be Thursday 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, officiated by Rev Luis Hernandez. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be Christopher Hernandez, Jeremy Hernandez, Daylan A. Santos, Mark A Quinones, Joshua Garcia, Nicolas Quinones, Luis Rene Quinones II, and Andrew Sandoval. Everado Garcia Jr. will serve as an honorary pallbearer.

To view the online obituary or to post a tribute for the family, go to www.navarrefuneralhome.com

Arrangements are under the direction of Navarre Funeral Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., 2444 Rollingbrook Dr. Baytown, TX 77521, 281-422-8111.