Maria E. Gomez Obituary (1941 - 2025)

In Loving Memory of Maria Elena Gomez With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Maria Elena Gomez on February 19, 2025. Born into a loving Mexican-American family in Mission, Texas, she dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring, and caring for her family. Maria was one of ten children. Her parents, Roberto and Isabel Cavazos, worked tirelessly to support their large family. Her early years were spent growing up in the loving shadow of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church where she attended Catholic school with her siblings. During the summers, the entire extended family worked as migrants. Hard work in the fields, chore struggles with her mom, simple but memorable games with her loving siblings defined her young life, as well as devouring novels into the late night hours. Valedictorian of her high school and the first university graduate in her family, she paved the way for her younger siblings to pursue their degrees. Her career in education spanned both elementary schools and universities for 47 years. She helped countless children succeed in the classroom, particularly in mathematics, and she helped adults learn English and unlock new opportunities. Beyond the classroom, she mentored and taught aspiring teachers, sharing her wisdom and nurturing their passion for education. A devoted advocate for human rights, Maria believed in the power of education to promote equality, and justice. Her kindness, strength, and unwavering dedication touched the lives of her family, friends, students, and colleagues. Many of her former students remained lifelong friends, a testament to the profound impact she had on their lives. Those who knew Maria knew how much she loved her San Diego Chargers and Padres teams. In fact, she enjoyed watching all sports, but no team could compare with her Chargers. Most of all, Maria was a dedicated mother and grandmother. Her daughters and grandchildren were her greatest joy, and she cherished every moment with them. She never missed a birthday celebration and made every effort to attend as many soccer, softball, football, and baseball games, as well as musicals, recitals, concerts, and performances as possible, always cheering them on with pride and unconditional love. She was preceded in death by her spouse, Jesus P. Gomez; her parents, Roberto and Isabel Cavazos; her siblings, Jose Roberto Cavazos (Dora); Ruben Cavazos; Israel Cavazos, Maria Lucinda Cavazos, Rene Cavazos (Rita); Guadalupe Javier Cavazos; Irma Cavazos Rice (Thomas), and Severa Cavazos. She is survived by her daughters, Laura Esparza (Ramsey) and Sonia Gomez-Neri (Raul); her grandchildren, Roman Neri (Bethannie), Sofia Neri, Ramsey Gabriel Esparza, Isabella Neri, and Raul Jesus 'RJ' Neri; her surviving siblings, Arturo Noe Cavazos (Rosie), Jose Carlos Cavazos, and her sister-in-law, Cristina Cavazos; along with her large extended family, all of whom will cherish her memory and continue to honor her legacy. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 4 pm at Brown Family Funeral Home, 701 E. Expressway 83, Mission, TX with a rosary at 7 pm. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 2 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with burial to follow at San Jose Cemetery in Mission, TX. Her love, wisdom, humor, and spirit will forever remain in our hearts.