Esperanza Olvera

Esperanza “Hope” Olvera passed away at her home on November 11, 2023. Esperanza Morin was born on November 21, 1934, in Hondo, TX, the daughter of Lorenzo Olivares Morin and Elisa Barrientes Uriegas. Her siblings were older sister Ora, followed by Esperanza, Juan, Arturo, Nelda, and Ricardo.

Esperanza attended the Hondo West End Public School which was for Mexican Americans for grades 1-4. In 5th grade she moved to the integrated Hondo Elementary. In 9th grade she began attending Hondo High School. She was an active student, who played cornet in the marching and concert band, was on the student council and was the pianist for the Future Homemakers of America.

After graduating high school in 1953, she attended Draughon’s Business School in San Antonio. While at Draughon’s Business School, Esperanza focused on secretarial classes and stenography. After receiving her Executive Secretarial Certificate, she began working at the VA in San Antonio while continuing to take college level courses at San Antonio College.

Esperanza met Raymond Olvera of Brackettville, an Air Force Tech Sergeant, boarding the westbound Highway 90 bus in San Antonio in 1955. They were married in Hondo on November 20, 1955.

In May of 1956 they moved to Japan, where Esperanza began working for Security Service as a stenographer. In 1956 they moved to Hawaii and were stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield/Schofield Barracks on Oahu. Their first, Franklin, was born in Hawaii, and then the family moved to San Antonio, where Michael, Valerie and Christopher followed. Esperanza and Raymond were a great match and great parents, Esperanza was the matriarch, providing direction, and Raymond tried to keep the ship on an even keel.

While raising the children, Esperanza and Raymond took turns taking college classes. Esperanza received her BA in Spanish in 1978 from UTSA and her MA in Multicultural Studies from UTSA in 1985.

In 1978, Esperanza began teaching Spanish at Alamo Heights High School where she remained until 1985. In 1987 she began work at the Defense Language Institute at Lackland AFB as an English Instructor. She was eventually promoted to Instructor/Development (teaching other instructors) and then Supervisor of English and then Program Manager. She had the opportunity to return to Japan to teach English while at DLI. She retired in 2009. Esperanza had also been teaching Spanish at San Antonio College at night from 1987-1993.

After retiring, Esperanza joined the St. Vincent DePaul Society as well as the Book Club at St. Luke Catholic Church. She also participated in the Bereavement Ministry and the Altar Society. She and Raymond also traveled extensively in Europe and North America after they both retired. She enjoyed taking care of her grandchildren and attending their sporting events. She loved family gatherings, music, and dancing with Raymond at weddings, talking about books and history and politics, and giving others her thoughts and advice. She always cherished her career as a teacher.

She is survived by her husband Raymond, siblings Ora of Missoula, MT and Nelda of San Antonio, son Franklin and daughter-in-law Gaye of Helotes, son Michael and daughter-in-law Nancy of Dallas, daughter Valerie and son-in-law Scott of San Antonio, son Christopher and daughter-in-law Jeanine of San Antonio, daughter-in-law Janice of San Antonio and nine grandchildren: Carrie Canton (husband Henry), Kelsey Moore (husband Austin) , Karleigh Zolinski, Rebeca Schendel (husband Michael), Sophie Zolinski, Emily McCoy (husband Jack), Margaret “Maggie” Olvera, Christopher Olvera and William Olvera, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Rosary at 9 a.m. and funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. on November 27, 2023, at St. Luke Catholic Church, 4603 Manitou Dr. San Antonio, TX. Burial following at Ft. Sam Houston.

Gifts in the memory of Esperanza Olvera may be made to the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org.