The Brownsville Herald - Online Edition Obituaries, Wednesday, May 10, 2006 DEATH NOTICES MIGUEL ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, 20, passed away on Sunday, May 7, 2006, due to a tragic traffic accident. Funeral arrangements are pending under Guerra Funeral Home, 3955 Coffee Port Road, (956) 544-1171. OBITUARIES MANUEL MOLINA Manuel Molina of Brownsville, Texas passed away at the age of 71 years old on May 8, 2006, after an extended illness. Born on March 11, 1935, in Kingsville, Texas, he was preceded in death by his mother, Beatriz Infante; infant son, Manuel Molina Jr.; and a brother, Antonio Molina. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Anna Vargas Molina of Brownsville; son, Hector Antonio Molina of Harlingen; daughter-in-law, Kristine Ann Posio-Molina of Harlingen; grandchildren, Daniel Ruben Molina, Sophia Marie Molina and Lorenzo Roman Molina as well as numerous sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. He was a 1957 graduate of Brownsville High School, served in the United States Army from 1958-1960, a member of the Knights of Columbus briefly in the 1970s, worked at Mini Max Supermarket and King Mart Supermarket for 18 years, worked at Levi Strauss as a Sundries coordinator for 19 years and worked 13 years as a door greeter at Wal-Mart at Amigoland Mall and Alton Gloor. Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. with a holy rosary to be recited at 7:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at Darling-Mouser Funeral Home. Mass of Resurrection will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2006, at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Burial to follow at Buena Vista Burial Park. Full Military Honors will be conducted by the American Legion Post 43 Honor Guard at graveside. Pallbearers will be Alfredo Vera Sr., Alfredo Vera Jr., Enrique Rodriguez, Alejandro Rodriguez, Alfredo Vasquez, Mario Vargas, Perfecto Garcia, Lewis Melchor Ressler, Roy Cope, Emilio Ruiz, Javier Vargas, and Emilio S. Ruiz. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd. Brownsville, Texas (956) 546-7111. GONZALO GARCIA Gonzalo García, 78, athletics coach, educator and civic philanthropist, died on May 1, 2006, in Brownsville, Texas. A Brownsville native, he had been living in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 2001. Gonzalo García was born on Christmas Day 1927, the third of five sons and one daughter of José Manuel and Santos Zamora García. He was educated in the Brownsville public schools, graduating in 1946. He was an all-round athlete in his high school years, participating in basketball, boxing, track, and shot put, as well as distinguishing himself as regional champion in discus. He was also a light heavyweight Golden Gloves boxing champion. In football, he earned All-District, All-Valley and All-South Texas honors as a two-way lineman for the Eagles. In 1946 he was captain of the Citrus Bowl Football Championship Team, and was also selected to the First Team, All-District and All-Valley Teams. Upon graduation from Brownsville High School, he received a four-year athletic scholarship to Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos. As an undergraduate, he lettered four years, three years in the First Team All Lone Star Conference, including the 1947 Championship, received Honorable Mention in football in 1948 and was honored as the best lineman in the Lone Star Conference. In 1949 he was First Team selection on the Williamson's Little All-American Team. In addition to his athletic prowess, Mr. García was an excellent dancer. His aunt, Bettie Rogers (formerly Peña) wrote, "The year Joe [the late José Angel Peña] and I got married, 1948, we went to Brownsville for Christmas. My memory of Hinelda and Gonzalo was of an evening in Matamoros and I saw them dancing Latin dances together, so gracefully!" Graduating from college in 1950, he received professional football offers from the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and San Francisco Dons. He chose instead to join the U.S. Army, 40th Infantry Division as a non-commissioned officer as an honor guard in the Defensive Platoon, serving in Japan and Korea. In December of 1950, he was granted a brief Christmas furlough to return to Brownsville. On Christmas Day, he was married to Hinelda Alicia Alcalá, his wife of 51 years, deceased in 2002. After being honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1952, he joined the coaching staff of the Brownsville Independent School District. In the years that followed, he taught at Canales Elementary School and coached the Brownsville High School's freshman football team. He was appointed head coach at Cummings Intermediate School, where the teams he coached enjoyed several successful seasons in football, basketball, track, and softball. He became assistant principal in 1960. During these years he also organized and coached the first competitive Brownsville Swimming Team and worked in Cameron County's Summer Youth Program, for which he served as supervisor in 1969 and 1970. Mr. García was Pace High School's first head coach and athletic coordinator from 1975 to 1978. At the old Brownsville High School and Hanna High, he taught business courses and was also an offensive and defensive line coach for the Brownsville High School Eagles under coach Joe Rodriguez. He was also a member of the coaching staff for two Brownsville High School District and Regional Championships. He was a member of many athletic teacher's associations, among them the Texas State High School Coaches Association, the Texas High School Administrative Council, and the Texas High School Classroom Teacher's Association. In 1976, he retired from coaching and devoted himself to administrative duties at Pace High School. He retired from these duties in 1993, having served the Brownsville Independent School District for 41 years. He continued teaching another two years until 1995 achieving a total of 43 years with the district. In 1999, he was named to the Valley Freedom Newspapers' All-Millennium team sponsored by several papers in the Rio Grande Valley and inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame (Edinburg, Texas). He was active in numerous philanthropic endeavors, including eight terms as president of the Good Neighbor Settlement House, membership in the West Brownsville Lions Club, the Brownsville Optimist International Club (distinguished president and lieutenant governor for the South Texas District), and Esperanza Home for Boys of Brownsville (board member and president). At the First United Methodist Church of Brownsville he wore many hats. He was an adult usher, sponsor for the Youth Group, superintendent of its Sunday School and a member of its Administrative Council. He also served as interpreter missionary for the Dental Group of the First United Methodist Church of Missouri, and for 16 years at the Missionary Clinic for La Bartolina in Matamoros. From 1968 to 1996 he was listed in the following publications: Who's Who in the Methodist Church, Personalities of the South, Men of Achievement, International Hall of Fame (Laredo, Texas), Southwest Texas Teachers State University Alumni Association, and as Distinguished President of the Brownsville International Club of the South Central Texas District. Summarizing "My Philosophy" in 1974, he wrote: "Helping others gain something for themselves is greater ... than personal gain ... I believe I can do more by being a part of the activity, than by standing on the outside criticizing ... I would like to think ... that I have had a part in making Brownsville a better place to live." He is survived by his children, Elda and husband Richard Pinsonneault of Albuquerque, N.M., Grady García and Sarah García of Austin, Nathan García of Naas County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, Naomi García and partner Janice Murray of Grand Rapids, Mich.; three grandchildren, Phillip, Alicia and Jonathan Pinsonneault of Albuquerque; an uncle, Manuel Zamora of Brownsville; sisters-in-law, Raquel García of Mercedes, Texas and Maria Luisa García, of Brownsville, along with numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. The family would like to acknowledge Juan and Oralia Ramírez and David and Mayra Ramírez for their selfless support and loving care of our dad. Visitation will be held today, Wednesday, May 10, 2006, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday, May 12, 2006, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Garza Memorial Funeral Home. There will be an evening service Friday at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Brownsville's First United Methodist Church, 1225 Boca Chica Boulevard on Saturday, May 13, 2005 at 10 a.m., the Rev. Laura Adam officiating. Committal services with Full Military Honors conducted by the American Legion Post #43 Honor Guard will follow at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens. Honorary pallbearers will be Rolando Aguilar, Frank Maldonado, David Ramírez, Juan M. Ramírez, René Ramírez, and Joe Salinas. Pallbearers will be Kenneth Alcalá, Tony Campos, Albert Castro Jr., Enrique García, Jose Manuel (JM) García, Roger García, Sergio García, Uvaldo García, Rudy G. Rincón and Zaul Zamora. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Joe I. Treviño, Garza Memorial Funeral Home, 1025 East Jackson Street, 542-5511. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to: Sunshine Haven Inc., Memorial Building Fund, P.O. Box 4478, Brownsville, Texas 78526; Good Neighbor Settlement House, 1254 East Tyler Street, Brownsville, Texas 78520; St. John's United Methodist, Church Organ Fund, 2626 Arizona NE, Albuquerque NM 87110; or First United Methodist Church, 1225 Boca Chica Boulevard, Brownsville, Texas 78520. MARIA DEL SOCORRO MUNOZ Maria del Socorro Munoz Silguero was called by the Lord, Monday, May 8, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville after a brief illness. She was born April 14, 1926, in Brownsville, Texas, and was a resident of Brownsville all her life. Mrs. Silguero was preceded in death by her parents, Juan D. Munoz Sr. and Paula Gonzalez Munoz; her husband, Guadalupe Silguero and a brother, Mariano Munoz. She is survived by her sister, Maria C. Manzano; brothers, Juan D. Munoz Jr. (Hilda), Juan Onofre Munoz (Emma) of Brownsville and Leandro Munoz (Gloria) of San Antonio, Texas; her sister-in-law, Estella Munoz; her brothers-in-law, Herminio Silguero and Emilio Silguero all of Brownsville. A very dear niece and constant companion, Margie S. Divin of Brownsville, as well as several other nephews and nieces also survive her. Visitation will be from 12 noon to 9 p.m. with recitation of the holy rosary at 7 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 10, 2006, in the Darling-Mouser Funeral Home Chapel. Mass of resurrection will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Holy Family Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Buena Vista Burial Park Pallbearers will be Ted Manzano, John Munoz, III, Mark Munoz, Ben Divin, Jr., Luis Silguero and Ricky Silguero. Honorary pallbearer will be Mary Jane Manzano. Arrangements have been entrusted to Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd., Brownsville, (956) 546-7111. BOB J. MONKRES Bob J. Monkres, 73, retired educator/administrator, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and trusted friend walked through the gates of heaven at high noon on May 5, 2006, in Scottsdale, Ariz., following a lengthy and courageous struggle with heart disease. His family was graced by his leadership, quiet strength and pure unconditional love of family and friends. He was born in Love County, Leon, Okla., on May 30, 1932, to Howard B. and Osie (Forkner) Monkres. He graduated from Leon High School and shortly thereafter moved to Ft. Worth, Texas. A Veteran of the Korean Conflict, Bob was very proud and honored to have served his country. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on January 15, 1953, at Ft. Sill, Okla., and was assigned to the 21st AAA, 25 Division on June 1953, in Pusan, Korea. Following his tour of duty in Korea he attended school and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Wesleyan in Ft. Worth, Texas, in 1959, and his Master's degree in Secondary Administration from North Texas University in Denton, Texas, in 1965. He married Sylvia Salazar on November 27, 1964, at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Harlingen, Texas. He held positions in Port Isabel, Texas, Los Fresnos, Texas, St. Paul County, Alberta, Canada and the Territory of Guam, U.S.A. as an elementary, junior high and senior high school principal, former teacher, football and basketball coach, during his career. He is preceded in death by his parents Howard and Osie Monkres and brothers Howard Benton, Kenneth Ray, Harold Dale, Jack Douglas, James and Keith. He is survived by his loving wife of 41years Sylvia S. Monkres; son, Robert Joseph Monkres, daughter-in-law, Rhonda Alexander-Monkres and grandson, Randin; brothers, Thurman Eugene and wife Georgia Monkres of Arlington, Texas, and Billy Wayne Monkres of Medina, Texas; sister, Voncille M. Kassen of ValleyView, Texas; brother-in-law, Javier Salazar of Harlingen, Texas; sister-in-law, Clarie Casas and husband Joe Casas of Corpus Christi, Texas; and 16 loving nieces and nephews in Texas, Oklahoma and California. Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. on Wednesday May 10, 2006, at the Rudy Garza Funeral Home, 1702 E. Harrison in Harlingen, The funeral procession will depart the Rudy Garza Funeral Home at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday May 11, 2006, for a 2 p.m. Mass of Christian burial at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic with Father Mario Castro as the celebrant. Entombment will follow at Mont Meta Memorial Park Mausoleum, 26170 State Highway 345 in San Benito, Texas with full Military honors under the auspices of the American Legion Post 205 and VFW Post 2410. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Rudy Garza Funeral Home, 1702 E. Harrison, Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 425-8200. The Brownsville Herald 1135 E. 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