Mary Legere Zita McDaniel

Zita was a generous, caring and loving wife and mother to five children. She was born on February 14, 1920 in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada to Joseph Neri Legere and Sara Agnes Barton Legere. One of five children, she spent her early childhood in Canada before the family settled in Walden, NY. Upon graduating high school, she moved to Newark, NJ where she worked as a hairdresser and a telephone operator. During this time, she met a young military pilot Ray C. McDaniel, the love of her life. They married in Lubbock, TX in July 1943.

For the next thirty years, they moved around the country and the world with the Air Force. Zita was involved in various organizations within the Catholic Church as well as the Officers' Wives' Club. Even busy raising five children, she always made time for others. She very much enjoyed the Air Force life and made numerous lifelong friends along the way. Her Christmas card list was extensive and each year she spent hours preparing personal notes to every person on the list.

In retirement, Ray and Zita settled down in San Antonio and spent most weekends enjoying the family vacation home on the Texas coast in Rockport with family and friends. Zita also maintained a standing hair appointment every Friday with her hairdresser of forty-five years, Jolly Arch. There was very little that stood in the way of her making it to that appointment. She cherished the times she had with her close friends at the beauty shop and she always looked forward to Fridays. Zita was a special person loved by all those she touched in her 96 years on earth. She will be dearly missed by all and her beloved cat, Sweetie.

Zita was preceded in death by her husband Col. Ray C. McDaniel as well as her four siblings. She is survived by her five children, Elaine Sevier, Robert McDaniel (Carol), Dr. Ronald McDaniel (Sue), Richard McDaniel (Rhonda) and Sean McDaniel (Kelly), as well as eleven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. The grandchildren include James Sevier, Jeff Sevier, Justin McDaniel, Julie McDaniel, Madison McDaniel, Serena McDaniel, Charlie McDaniel, Theresa Wolfe, Christina McDaniel, Ryan McDaniel and Erin McDaniel.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, August 22, 2016 at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

ROSARY

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

7:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING MORTUARY NORTH

2102 N. LOOP 1604 EAST

MASS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

10:00 A.M.

HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC CHURCH

8134 BLANCO ROAD

Interment will follow in Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.