Xavier F. Garza

Xavier was a modest man of unimpeachable integrity. At a time when many young men fled to Canada to escape the draft, X (as he was called) volunteered for the U.S. Army immediately after graduating from high school, trained for the elite Army Rangers, and served four years in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, almost all of it behind enemy lines. When he returned to the U.S., he spent the next year traveling around the country, visiting the families of the men who had served with him and had not returned. He did it because he believed it was the right thing to do.

X was probably best known for his sense of humor and quick wit. Both family and friends recall his ability to deliver hilarious one-liners on virtually any subject, at any time, without cracking a smile.

X loved the outdoors, especially Big Bend National Park and the beaches south of Corpus Christi where he grew up. He enjoyed camping, hiking, gardening, and practicing his cooking skills at the grill and smoker.

But what he loved most of all was his family — his wife Julie, his son Jeff and daughter-in-law Amber, his nephew Kris, and his nieces Mary and Ellen, and their families.

He was especially proud of Jeff’s music career. Some of his favorite memories were of chaperoning the 2004 Ireland/London trip with the Coppell High School Band and attending home games at the University of Oklahoma, where he and Julie cheered as Jeff took the field as part of the OU drumline.

X and Julie shared almost 42 years together — happy, busy years of raising Jeff, traveling around their beloved state of Texas, and working on their garden. Theirs was a loving partnership, and they enjoyed nothing more than being together at home, especially during recent years when Julie’s immunocompromised status required it. They made the most of their changed circumstances and agreed that there was no one else they would rather be in permanent lockdown with than each other. They shared a sense of humor which got them through hard times, along with a deep love and a genuine friendship.

Xavier’s funeral Mass was held Thursday, September 12, 2024, at St. Ann’s Catholic Parish in Coppell, Texas. The family requests that donations be made to Doberman Rescue of North Texas, Inc., 2021 Rock Creek Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75050.