The Brownsville Herald - Online Edition Obituaries May 16 2006 DELMA CARRERA DE RAMIREZ FRANCO passed away on Monday, May 15, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center. There will be no local services. Mass of Resurrection will be held at 1 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at Iglesia Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Refugio in Matamoros. Local funeral arrangements are under Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd. (956) 546-7111. INFANT GUSTAVO CRUZ, was stillborn on Monday May 15, 2006, at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville. There will be no local services. Funeral services will be held at Funerarias Ramirez in Matamoros. Local arrangements were under Garza Memorial Funeral Home, 1025 E. Jackson St. (956) 542-5511. PORFIRIA FUENTES FARIAS, 78, passed away on Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. There will be no local services. Funeral services will be held at Funerarias Lozano in Matamoros. Local arrangements were under Delta Funeral Directors, 1300 E. Harrison St. (956) 542-2222. DR. WILLIAM VAN WILKINSON Dr. William Van Wilkinson, son of George Bill Wilkinson and Imogene Van Hoosier Wilkinson, passed away on Monday, May 15, 2006, at 4:45 p.m. at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas. He was born August 6, 1940, in Fort Worth, Texas, of English, Dutch, and Cherokee descent. In later, years he wore his hair in a ponytail as a tribute to his rich Native American Heritage. Bill was a tenured professor of criminal justice at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Bill served as the Criminal Justice Department's chair and as Faculty Senate president for many years. He was the instrumental liaison between the Brownsville campus and the UT Coordinating Board in Austin under President Homer Peña. He was vehemently against the idea that the Brownsville campus continue to serve as a satellite campus for UT-Pan American and carried that message to the Board many times on behalf of the citizens of Brownsville. He did not want to see the Brownsville students riding for long hours between the campuses, especially when the students had to face economic hardships such as transportation issues in addition to their work and family responsibilities. He envisioned the UT-Brownsville as being a gateway for higher education to students living south of the border. One of Bill's greatest accomplishments was being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to live and teach at the Universidad Autonima de Mexico in Tampico, Tamaulipas; Mexico during the 1998-99 school year. Upon moving to the Valley in 1982, he set out to learn Spanish by watching the telenovelas on television, through private tutors, and through UT-Brownsville's generosity of allowing him to study at the language school in Cuernavaca, Mexico. He became quite fluent at speaking, reading, and writing the language. Bill collaborated for many years with UNAM to help establish an intellectual and professorial exchange program between the two countries via the medium of the classroom. This dream was brought to an abrupt halt with the death of his friend, Dr. Enrique Malagon Infante. Prior to becoming a professor of criminal justice, a lifelong dream that took him until the age of 44 to accomplish, Dr. Wilkinson was an oil field and freight docks worker, a tavern owner, and a home builder in the Woodlands, Texas. Bill was also a pioneering open-heart patient at the age of 35. He loved his job as a criminal justice professor at UT-Brownsville and enthusiastically went to work each day accumulating many sick days that later came in handy when his condition worsened. Despite all of this, he continued teaching and lecturing via the Internet from his home. Dr. Wilkinson was proud of all of his students that obtained criminal justice positions all over the United States and abroad. He knew he had trained them well and that they represented the very best caliber of student that a top-notch university could produce. He frequently spoke of his students that called him over the years to keep in touch with him. He was a staunch supporter of equal rights and encouraged his female students to apply for jobs that were traditionally held by males. William is survived by his beloved wife, Herlinda, his brother, George Michael Wilkinson, his mother-in-law, whom he loved and cherished like his own mother, Mrs. Ernestina Aguilar of Alamo; his son, John (Monica) Bergquist of Houston, Texas; his best friends, Dr. Joe Binder of Brownsville, Texas, and John and Dee Hewatt of Denver, Colo. Also, his beloved nephews and nieces: Jackie, Monica, Johanna, Eric, John, Jesse, Oneida, Gabriella, and Alondra Aguilar. Also, Matthew Aaron and Aimee Martinez all of Edinburg, Texas. We will all miss his hazel eyes, good humor, and intellectual input. Bill, you did well, we love you and will miss you always. The family also wishes to thank Rosie Gomez, for being his long time criminal justice department secretary and part of his family. Also, to Dr. Sue Ritter, Dr. Antonio Zavaleta, and Dr. Farhad Istekharuddin for allowing to Bill to continue teaching as long as he was able. The family wishes to thank Dr. Antonio Diaz, Dr. Manuel Salinas, and Dr. Jairo Rodriguez for William's care throughout the years. Also, the emergency care staff at Valley Regional Medical Center. Bill wished to set up a memorial scholarship to help criminal justice students attending UT-Brownsville. Donations can be sent to: IBC Bank, 1600 FM 802, The William Van Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship Fund in Brownsville, Texas. Visitation will be held at Guerra Funeral Home Chapel, 3955 Coffee Port Rd., Brownsville, Texas, today, May 17, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with rosary at 7 p.m. Bill requested that his ashes be scattered at three of his favorite vacation spots: Lyford Cay in the Bahamas, his beloved South Padre Island, and over San Francisco Bay. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Guerra Funeral Home of Brownsville, 3955 Coffee Port Road. (956) 544-1171. RICARDO HINOJOSA ALVARADO SR. Ricardo Hinojosa Alvarado Sr., 82, entered into eternal rest with the Lord on Sunday May 14, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas, with his loving family by his side. He was born on April 3, 1924, in Matamoros, Tamps, Mexico, to Jose Hinojosa and Teresa Alvarado Hinojosa who preceded him in death. He is also preceded in death by two sisters, Estela Cantu and Sara Ortiz; four brothers, Alejos Hinojosa, Osvaldo Hinojosa, Ovidio Hinojosa and Julio Hinojosa. Left to mourn his death and forever cherish his memory is his loving wife of 63 years of marriage, Josefina Rodriguez Hinojosa; nine children, Yolanda H. Gonzalez (Teodulo), Elvia H. Rodriguez (Arnulfo), Desiderio Hinojosa (Francisca), Lupita H. Garza (Jesus), Juanita H. Guerra (Marcelo), Juan Jose Hinojosa (Rosalinda), Leticia H. Guerra (Jesus Daniel), all of Brownsville, Diana H. De La Garza (Gerardo) of Los Fresnos and Ricardo Hinojosa, Jr. (Gilma) of Brownsville; a brother, Ramon Hinojosa; three sisters, Maria Isabel Hinojosa of California, Anita G. de Hinojosa of Matamoros, and Maria Luisa Hinojosa de Ortiz of Brownsville; 32 grandchildren, 68 great-grandchildren and numerous other relatives. Visitations were held on Monday, May 15, 2006. Visitation will resume from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a holy rosary recited at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at Guerra Funeral Home "Chapel of Arch Angels." Visitations will also be held from 9 a.m. to noon today, Wednesday, May 17, 2006. Funeral Mass will follow at 1 p.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 2645 Tulipan, with burial to follow at Buena Vista Cemetery. Honored to serve as pallbearers are Jesus Gonzalez Hinojosa, Desiderio Hinojosa, Arnulfo Rodriguez Hinojosa III, Ezequiel Guerra Hinojosa, Jesus Garza, Jr. Hinojosa, Edgar Hinojosa, Daniel Guerra Hinojosa and Javier Alfaro Hinojosa. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Guerra Funeral Home of Brownsville, 3955 Coffee Port Road (956) 544-1171. CARLOS CASTILLO Carlos Castillo, 84, entered into eternal rest on Monday, May 15, 2006, at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. Mr. Castillo is survived by his loving daughter, Gloria Castillo de Anguiano; grandchildren, Carlos (Gloria) Anguiano, Gabriela Anguiano (Carlos) Berriochoa, Miguel Anguiano, Ezekiel (Irma) Anguiano, and Jahzeel Anguiano (John) Gunnoe; 18 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista. Chapel service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2006, at Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista. Committal service to follow at Buena Vista Burial Park. He will be dearly missed by all his family and friends. Funeral services have been entrusted to Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista, cemeteries, mausoleums and crematory 125 McDavitt Blvd. Brownsville, Texas 78521 (956) 541- 5400. ALFREDO SENTENO Alfredo Senteno, 70, of Corpus Christi, Texas, passed away on May 9, 2006. He was born on November 28, 1935 in Brownsville, Texas. Mr. Senteno retired in 1991 from the United States Army Reserves after 30 years of full-time civil service. He was an active member of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church serving on the Men's Council and Knights of Columbus. He was a member of NCOA, NRA, NAFE, and Honor Guard. He was preceded in death by his parents, Trinidad and Maria Luisa Senteno; three sisters, Porfiria Ramirez, Ignacia Olvera, and Aurora Castillo; two brothers, Daniel Garcia and Genaro Senteno. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Margarita; two daughters, Alma Leticia (George) De Los Santos of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Elsa (Donald) Steward of Weatherford, Texas; a son, Alfredo Senteno Jr. of Corpus Christi, Texas; four grandchildren, Stephanie Lee De Los Santos and George Luis De Los Santos Jr., Taylor Dee Steward, and Trey Weldon Steward; three brothers, Arturo Senteno of Harlingen, Texas, Alfonso (Elia) Senteno of Brownsville, Texas, and Gilbert (Frances) Senteno of Houston, Texas; three sisters, Antonia Sinnott of Houston, Texas, Amelia (Jose G.) Padron of Brownsville, Texas, and Anita (Mike) Uribe of Brownsville, Texas. A funeral Mass was held on Friday, May 12, 2006, at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church. Interment followed at Seaside Memorial Park. MRS. ELVIA C. CANTU Mrs. Elvia C. Cantu, 83, of Brownsville, entered into eternal rest at Triumph Long Term Care in Sugarland, Texas, on Monday, May 15, 2006. Mrs. Cantu is survived by her loving family: her husband, Carlos G. Cantu of Brownsville; her children, Carlos (Rosanne) Cantu, Jr. of Georgetown, Texas, Gene (Selina) Cantu of Kingsville, Texas, Ruben (Teri) Cantu of Huffman, Texas, Irma (Gary) Morrison of San Antonio and Terri (Keith) Palmer of Wallis, Texas; her siblings, Irene C. Trevino of H. Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Concha Orive, Adela C. Hinojosa, Luis Napoleon Cisneros and Eduardo Cisneros Jr., all of Brownsville and Enriqueta Bermea of Ohio; nine grandchildren and a great-grandson. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. with recitation of the holy rosary at 7 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 17, 2006, in the Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd. Mass of resurrection will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2006, at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Interment will follow at Buena Vista Burial Park. Pallbearers will be Chris T. Cantu, Randy Morrison, Michael Morrison, Chris J. Cantu, Michael Cantu, Darrell Palmer, Dalton Palmer and Kevin Bayer. Honorary pallbearers will be Mandy Krause and Zane Cantu. Arrangements have been entrusted to Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd., Brownsville, Texas (956) 546-7111. MARIA DE LA LUZ RAGA Maria de la Luz Raga, 68, passed away on Saturday, May 6, 2006, at her home, surrounded by her loving children. She was a native of Villa Gonzalez, Tamps. Mexico, and had been a Brownsville, resident for many years. Ms. Raga was a member of St. Luke Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, Francisco and Maria de la Luz Garza; her husband, Victor Manuel Raga; two sisters, Guadalupe and Maria Luisa Garza; and a brother, Francisco Garza. Mrs. Raga is survived by a son, Victor Manuel Raga; a daughter, Maria de la Luz Raga; two grandchildren, Joceline and Victor Manuel Raga; a sister, Bertha Garza; a brother, Vicente Garza; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Funeral service and burial were held on May 8, 2006, in Villa Gonzalez, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Local arrangements were under Garza Memorial Funeral Home, 1025 E. Jackson St. (956) 542-5511. The Brownsville Herald 1135 E. Van Buren Brownsville, TX 78520 956-542-4301 1-800-488-4301 © 2000 The Brownsville Herald