Grace Marie Barrera

Grace was born August 22, 1945, in Palacios, Texas, to Rogelia and Abelino Gonzales. As a young girl, she moved to Corpus Christi with her mother and sister, Gloria Almendarez, where she would make her home. Grace attended Ella Barnes Junior High School, where she was a cheerleader, and graduated from W.B. Ray High School in 1963. There, she met the love of her life, Exiquio “Kiko” Barrera, III. After three years of dating, they married on June 7, 1963, beginning a partnership that would span more than six decades.

After several years working as a secretary, including assisting the principal at Cunningham Junior High School, Grace and Kiko dreamed of building a future for their family. Inspired by Grace’s mother, who owned and operated Mi Tierra Restaurant, they took a leap of faith and opened Kiko’s Mexican Food Restaurant in 1977. What began as a small breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on Everhart Road grew into a beloved part of the community. Grace formed lifelong friendships with customers and employees and was known for her generous heart and willingness to help others without expecting anything in return. Although Kiko’s is now under new ownership, many cherished employees remain—a testament to the lasting legacy Grace and Kiko built together.

Grace was a devoted member of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church and an active member of the Guadalupanas. Her faith was a foundation for the love and care she showed others.

She found joy in life’s simple pleasures: tending to her plants, spending time with her grandchildren, enjoying peaceful sunsets with her husband, and listening to music and dancing. Later in life, she even took dance lessons to become a folklórico dancer.

Above all, Grace treasured her family. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend whose warmth, generosity, and sense of humor touched countless lives. Grace often said she had always wanted daughters, but God gave her sons. With a smile, she would add that God eventually answered her prayers by blessing her with daughters-in-law and granddaughters. Her family was her greatest joy, and she cherished each of them deeply.

Grace was preceded in death by her father, Abelino Gonzales; her mother, Rogelia Adams; her stepfather, Maclovio Adams; and her brother, Maclovio Adams, Jr.

She leaves behind her beloved husband, Exiquio “Kiko” Barrera, III; her sons, Randall Barrera (Dr. Cynthia Casillas), Marcus Barrera, and Dr. Orlando Barrera (Kristi); her granddaughters, Breanna (Ryan) Lozano, Gabriella Barrera, Sophia Barrera, Mila Barrera, and Kora Barrera; her grandsons, Stephen McMinn, and Eduardo Barrera; and her sisters, Gloria (the late Guadalupe) Almendarez, Linda (Patrick) Romero, Dolores (Tomas) Pena, and Sandra (the late Hector) Flores.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the doctors and nurses of the ICU at Bay Area Hospital, as well as Diana Limon, her daughter Jessica, niece Amber, and Tammy Anderson, RN, of New Century Hospice, for the extraordinary compassion and care they gave Grace and her family.

Pallbearers will be nephews George Barrera, Tony Gonzales, Tomas Pena, Adam Romero, Patrick Romero, and cousin Jim Brecker. Honorary pallbearers will be Arturo Barrera, Jr., and Ryan Lozano.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, 3502 Saratoga Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas 78415. Eulogy and Memory Sharing by her son Randall and sister Gloria will follow at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Holy Rosary and Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. Services will conclude with the Rite of Committal and Interment at 2:00 p.m. at Memory Gardens Cemetery, 8200 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415.

Grace’s life was one of love, faith, hard work, generosity, and devotion. Her greatest legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the friendships she treasured, and the many lives she touched. Though she will be deeply missed, her love will remain in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.

Public Visitation will be held at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, 3502 Saratoga Blvd, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415, on October 16, 2026, beginning at 11:00 am, followed by Eulogy & Memory Share at 11:30 am, and the Holy Rosary and Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 pm.

The Rite of Committal and Interment will take place at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, 8200 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415, on October 16, 2026, beginning at 2:00 pm, with final resting place at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, 8200 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi.