The Brownsville Herald - Online Edition Obituaries May 11, 2006 DEATH NOTICES MERRITT PIERSON, 86, passed away Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center. He was a native of Thurman, Iowa, and a Brownsville resident. Cremation Services ill be held under the direction of Joe I. Trevino, Garza Memorial Funeral Home, 1025 E. Jackson St., (956) 542-5511. ADELAIDA SANCHEZ, 88, passed away on May 9, 2006, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville. No local services will be held. A visitation and rosary will be held at Funeraria Lozano in Matamoros. Local arrangements were entrusted to Delta Funeral Directors, 1300 East Harrison St., (956) 542-2222. OBITS 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, N.M., 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. Mr. García was preceded in death by his brothers Vidal, Alfredo, Rodolfo, and Enrique García; and a sister, Concepción Garcia. 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, Michigan; 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; 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 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, May 12, 2006, at Garza Memorial Funeral Home. There will be an evening service at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. at Brownsville's First United Methodist Church, 1225 Boca Chica Boulevard on Saturday, May 13, 2005, with Rev. Laura Adam officiating. Committal services with Full Military Honors conducted by the American Legion Post #43 Veterans Honor Guard will follow at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens. Honorary pallbearers will be Rolando Aguilar, Larry Herrera, Frank Maldonado, Pat L. Pace, Sr., James Pace, II, 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, (956) 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. The Brownsville Herald 1135 E. Van Buren Brownsville, TX 78520 956-542-4301 1-800-488-4301 © 2000 The Brownsville Herald