Alfonso was born in Ganado on January 23, 1920, and his life was defined by work and duty. He was one of 10 children raised in a family of sharecroppers and left school for full-time farming in the 1930s to help his parents.
Following the Great Depression, Alfonso participated in the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) working on parks and roads projects.
Alfonso joined the US Army during World War II from 1942-1945 and served in the Mediterranean campaign. His deployments included North Africa and Italy. He was awarded European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign (EAME) medals, three Bronze stars and a Good Conduct medal.
Alfonso returned to Texas after the war and married Fidela Ramirez of Cuero. They settled in Corpus to work and raise a family. He was a supplies truck driver at the US Naval Air Station for 31 years until his retirement in 1976.
He enjoyed his wife’s cooking, Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, and a can of Schlitz after work with salt and lime. He spoke softly but firmly, and his priority was always providing for his family.
Alfonso is a founding member of Holy Family Catholic Church, where he ushered for 55 years.
He is preceded in death by his parents Jose Jimenez and Guillerma Ramirez Jimenez; sisters Agapita, Maria, Cayetana, Rafaela, Isabel, and Modesta; and brothers Antonio and Geronimo.
He is survived by wife Fidela Ramirez Jimenez, also age 100; children Olga (Gonzalo) Adams of Corpus Christi, Rita Marie (Arnold) Arevalo of Richmond, Eva Marie (Efrain II) Guerrero of Corpus Christi, and Louis (Mary Elizabeth) Jimenez of San Antonio, and niece Jane Campos (Manuel) of Del Rio, who lived with the family for some years.
He is survived by grandchildren Jessica Durkin of Pittsburgh, Chris Arevalo (Marlies) of Richmond, Amanda Norris (Greg) of Houston, Efrain Guerrero III (Emily) of Austin, Leslie Collins (Tim) of Austin, and Jason and Kimberly Jimenez of San Antonio; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Alfonso continually showed his love for his entire family throughout his life with the devotion to us all in his special and sometimes surprising ways. May God bless his soul as he is greeted by his parents, sisters and brothers. This completes the end of the earthly life of Jose and Guillerma’s family but begins an eternal life in heaven promised by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Memory Gardens Funeral Home with a Holy Rosary to be recited at 7:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 10:00 am at Holy Family Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Mausoleum.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemoryGardensFuneralHome.com for the Jimenez family.
