Brandon Christopher Zapata

Brandon Christopher Zapata, of San Angelo, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, October 18, 2013 at Nix Hospital in San Antonio. He was 22. Rosary service will be 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at Johnson’s Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 24, 2013 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Graveside service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 25, 2013 at the Bennington City Cemetery in Bennington, Oklahoma. Arrangements are by Johnson’s Funeral Home of San Angelo and Brown’s Funeral Service of Durant, Oklahoma.

Brandon was born on January 1, 1991 in San Antonio, Texas. His mother Clara raised him in San Angelo for the last 21 years. He attended Central High School and graduated from Nellie M. Reddix Center High School in San Antonio in May of 2013. Brandon was a very loving, giving and happy person. He was always smiling and would become very concerned when those around him were not smiling with him. He was a fighter until the very end. Whatever his doctors and therapists told him he could not accomplish, he proved them all wrong. Brandon and his family were told that he would never walk or eat or learn sign language, but he learned to do all of those things and did so with such tenacity. Brandon had a lot of very special people in his life that were like family to him. Anyone that came along and touched his life in some way had a special place in his heart and he never forgot them. From the ages of two to nine, there was a special woman by the name of Roselle Hall. She was more than a care provider, she became like a second mom to Brandon. Kenneth L. Phillips, who was affectionately referred to as “O-Bey”, was a very special step-father. And during the last two years, Lynn Parris, was also a very special and important male figure in his life. There were also a lot of educators and mentors to Brandon that truly inspired him: Trisha Cook, Jam Page, Stephanie Free, Brenda Wellen, Darryl Aycock and a special Pediatrician, Dr. Karl Wehner.

Brandon is preceded in death by his grandmother Mary J. Quesnot of San Antonio and two uncles: Gus W. Quesnot of Nashville, TN and Oscar Zapata of San Angelo. He is survived by his mother Clara L. Quesnot of San Antonio; step-father Kenneth L. Phillips of Seattle, WA; his Godparents who were a major influence in his life, Irma and Dr. Antonio Contreras of San Angelo; aunt Grace and uncle Robert Amaya of Austin; cousins: Alexander, Natalie and Gabriella; uncle Victor and aunt Marie Quesnot of San Antonio; cousins: Elaine, Kathleen, Jennifer, Irene and Valerie; numerous special friends; and biological father Daniel C. Zapata. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arc of San Antonio (Pam Stephens Center) or West Texas Rehab.