Amador J. “Mayo” deLuna, 93, left the arms of his loving family and was welcomed into the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. By God's grace he received the blessing of a peaceful death after a courageous battle with cancer, on May 14, 2020 in Houston, TX. He was born on June 25, 1926 in Laredo, Tx. to the late Alejandro deLuna and Ana Zardeneta deLuna. He was the fifth, "el quinto" of nine children.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife of almost fifty years, Sofia Garza deLuna. His siblings Armando, Amellia, Adelfa, Alejandro and Alfredo, and most recently by his youngest great granddaughter, Mila Grace (age 3). He is survived by his sisters, Alicia Laurel, and Anna Garcia both of Laredo, Tx and Angie Slee of Seattle, WA., his children, Alfredo (Patricia) of Bellaire, Tx, Sara Pittman (Bill) of Austin, Lamar Brown (Bob) of Houston, Deana Hadsell (Mike) and Joey both of Austin and David of Los Angeles, California, along with 14 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren.
Amador, or "AJ" as he would later become known to friends, led a life that exemplified a man who loved God, his country, and his family. A devoted Catholic, he was a member of Our Lady of Victory Parish and joined the "Crusillistas" at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church. He volunteered with Our Lady of Victory’s Boy Scout Troop 365 and willingly taught CCD classes for public school students. He encouraged many young boys and girls who admired him and have fond memories of his presentation of Catholic doctrine. As a member of our country's "Greatest Generation" he proudly served in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic in the Philippines. He was awarded a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in a combat zone. In October of 1950, he married the love of his life, Sofia Garza in Laredo, Tx. For a time, he, Sofia, and their two oldest children lived in Mexico City for about 5 years. From Mexico City they returned to Laredo, then Corpus Christi, and eventually they settled in Victoria, TX. He was best known for his skill as a furniture craftsman, creating original and "made to order" solid wood furniture. He was a master at identifing almost any type of wood. His work ethic, "do the job right", proved his commitment to provide for his family. He was a gentle, quiet man, and everyone who met him, whether coworker, client or eventual friend, sensed that he was a man of integrity. His grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces counted him as one of their heroes.
We will all miss him but never forget him.
A special thanks to the doctors and staff at Michael DeBakey Veterans Hospital in Houston for the respect and kindness shown to our dad. It is greatly appreciated. The nurses from AMEDISYS Hospice that lovingly cared for our father and assisted our sister Lamar are also greatly appreciated. Thank you to Angel Lucy's Funeral Home and their associates in Houston for the compassion shown to our family and to Nicholas Amaya for guiding us through these difficult days.
Sadly, due to our world's current situation, there will not be the traditional visitation and rosary. We will miss visiting with all of you face to face. We hope to hold a memorial service to celebrate the life of our beloved father at a date in the future. Please visit Angel Lucy's Facebook page where you can submit your memories, and thoughts about our dad. It would be comforting to our family.