Christina Carnero

Christina Carnero, loving and devoted wife of LTC Manuel “Manny” Carnero, Jr., (Retired), was born in County Sligo, Ireland, on the 18th of December 1934. She passed away in Houston, peacefully in her sleep, at the home of her daughter, Linda Hughes, on Friday, the 6th of December 2021. She was 86 years of age.

Christina, fondly known as “Chris,” was loved and cherished by her family and friends. She was an elegant lady and well-known as a great conversationalist. She was a devoted military wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and aunt. Her passion was her family.

Christina was raised on a small farm in County Sligo and was one of seven children born to Michael Taylor and Bridget Brown Taylor. She left Ireland for the U.S. when she was 17 years old and sailed across the Atlantic with her sister, Alice, where they settled with cousins in Troy, New York. She became a U.S. citizen but never forgot her Irish heritage, listening, dancing, and singing to Irish music, attending Irish festivals and concerts, and visiting her beloved sisters, nieces, and nephews in Ireland whenever possible.

Christina met the love of her life, Manny, on a blind date when Manny was serving in the U.S. Marines, and they were married a few years later on the 30th of July 1960, in St. Augustine Church in Troy. They were soulmates and were married for over 61 years. They had their first daughter, Mary, a year later, and their second daughter, Linda, two years afterward. After they were married, Manny finished his time in the Marines and joined the U.S. Army as an officer which continued Chris’ long career as a military wife.

Behind every soldier there’s a hero spouse or significant other, that stay up late nights praying for and encouraging that soldier, and making sure everything is taken care of on the home front. Christina was that hero, serving as a single parent to Mary and Linda, when Manny was away in training and during his tours in Vietnam. She picked up and gracefully moved the family over 20 times to locations in Europe and the U.S. but always made sure to keep in close touch with extended family.

Christina and Manny moved to Houston upon Manny’s retirement where Christina was active in several woman’s groups supporting the Houston Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, the Korean War Veterans Association and the Chosin Few Association. As a cancer survivor Christina was also a very active member of the Ostomy Association of Houston. Chris and Manny were loyal parishioners at St. Cecilia Catholic Church for over 40 years where, in 2010, they renewed their vows for their 50th anniversary.

As her family grew to include sons-in-law and grandchildren, Christina was active in all aspects their lives; traveling domestically and internationally to celebrate births, holidays, birthdays, sacraments, graduations, and at times to just visit. She was an important and present part of her grandchildren’s lives as they grew up and will always be with the family.

Christina was preceded in death by her two infant sons, Manuel Carnero and Michael Carnero; and her six siblings, Una Kiernan, Rita Reynolds, May Buttery, Joe Taylor, Alice Lucas and Tommy Taylor.

Christina is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, LTC Manuel Carnero, Jr. (Retired); her daughters, Mary Christina Stahl and her husband Peter Michael Stahl, and Linda Antoinette Hughes and her husband Charles Samuel Hughes; her eight grandchildren, Anthony Pierce Stahl, Christopher Thomas Stahl, Melissa Ann Stahl, Dustin Robert Stahl, Michael Samuel Hughes, Christina Michelle Hughes, Catherine Hughes Hatley, Bridgette Lynn Hughes; her granddaughter-in-law, wife of Michael Samuel Hughes, Julie Walker Hughes, and their daughter, Christina’s great-granddaughter, Alice Claire Hughes.

The family would like to thank La’Tisha Massie for her support and friendship while caring for Christina over the recent months.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 15th of December, in the Jasek Chapel and Grand Foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where a recitation of the Holy Rosary is to commence at seven o’clock in the Jasek Chapel.

The Mass of Christian burial is to be offered at half-past ten o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 16th of December, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Drive in Houston, celebrated by Fr. Francis Macatangay.

At a later date, she will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Ostomy Association of Houston, PO Box 25164, Houston, TX, 77265; the American Stroke Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX, 75284-0692; or to St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Dr. Houston, TX 77024.

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“May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May God Hold you in the palm of his hand.”