Guadalupe Gloria Velasquez went to be with our Lord on Saturday, June 2, 2018. She was surrounded by her loving family at her home in Dallas, Texas.
Gloria was born April 3, 1946 to Clara and Everardo (Lalo) Velasquez in Big Foot, Tx. Her father was a trucker who took Devine families to do field work in the cotton fields. Gloria’s first job at age 9 was selling cold drinks from her dad’s truck during the summer months. Her mother Clara passed away when Gloria was nine, so she came Dallas to live with her maternal grandmother, Nieves Hernandez. She graduated from N. R. Crozier Technical High School in 1964, where she received a scholarship to learn keypunching (data entry). This led to a job with Braniff Airlines, which allowed her to travel the US and Europe. She was able to go to London, Paris and Rome for a mere $50. She then used her data entry skills to work her way through school. After attending El Centro Community College, she received a BA from the University of Texas in Austin in 1973 and an MBA from SMU in 1975. She was recruited by Shell Oil Company in Houston. She told her professor that she could live with her aunt in Houston, but that she didn’t have the money to get to Houston. He had so much confidence in her capabilities that he took out his checkbook and wrote her a check for a $1,500 loan. She then worked for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, at that time one of the “Big 8” accounting firms in the nation. She is believed to be the first Hispanic female CPA in Dallas. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start her own business in 1981. Many of her current clients have been with her from the start. Her favorite pastimes were reading, watching TV programs with her sister Rachel, and cuddling with her dogs and cats, especially Hurley and Fluffy.
Gloria is preceded in death by her parents, Clara and Everardo, her grandparents, Nieves and Nicolas Hernandez and Mauricia and Enrique Velasquez. She is survived by her sister Rachel Velasquez, numerous aunts, uncles, relatives including aunt Mary Alice Hernandez Perez and cousins including Amy Montonye and Anita Hinojosa.
All funeral services are at Calvary Hill Cemetery. Visitation Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 5pm-7pm. Rosary follows 7pm-8pm. Funeral with Mass is on Friday, June 8th at 10am at the Calvary Hill North Chapel.
