Rosemary Estrada

Candy was born on February 2, 1932, to Melecio and Lucy Reyna. She was married to Joe Robert Estrada on Christmas Eve December 24, 1950. The following day her husband left for the Korean War. They did not see each other for 2 years, but their marriage lasted 73 years.

Candy performed secretarial duties for various companies and finally found a home working for a pair of Cardiologists at Children’s Medical Center where she worked for several years. In 1983, she decided to open a Farmers Insurance Agency and she became a very successful agent. In 1991, she decided to retire to Gainesville, Texas and passed the agency to her son James Roland Estrada.

She enjoyed playing her Baby Grand Piano, drawing, painting, inventing a doll that when you pulled the cord, it spoke Spanish. She enjoyed writing short stories and telling those stories to her grandchildren which seemed to mesmerize them. She loved our family get togethers. There were only certain things that seemed to pull her away from her family. In 1969, she and her brother Mike Reyna were very instrumental in getting Anita Martinez nominated to be the first Hispanic elected to the Dallas City Council. She won and served for 4 years. She also was very active in campaigning for Jim Collins who became Congressman for Dallas/Irving from 1968-1983.

Candy is preceded in death by her parents; Melecio and Lucy Reyna and brothers; Gilbert, Manuel and Jimmy Reyna.

Candy is survived in death by her husband; Joe Robert Estrada, children; Robert Estrada and wife Tracey, James Roland Estrada and wife Sherri. Grandchildren; Kristi and Joey Mongognia, Amber and Shannon Johnson, Aaron Wilson and Tracy Eggleston, Cassie Sturkus and Nathan Spillman. Siblings: Fred and Mary Reyna, Mike and Hui-Chuan Reyna, Rudy and Marilyn Reyna. There are also 11 great grandchildren, 5 great, great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews whom she loved. Those special people whom she spoke to frequently were her niece Cynthia Reyna and friend Evelyn Martinez.