Evangelina V.

Garza

Evangelina V. Garza, 87, of Harlingen, Texas was welcomed into our Lord's heavenly kingdom on February 17, 2023. Surrounded by the love of her family, she passed peacefully at her final residence in Samerberg, Bavaria, Germany.

Eva ("Banque") was born in Harlingen, Texas on August 29, 1935 to parents, Mercedes and Paula Garza.

Upon graduating from Harlingen High School in 1954, she left for Houston, Texas where she attended and graduated from Lillie Jolly School of Nursing in 1957. Her professional nursing career began soon thereafter before entering a new chapter with the United States Air Force Ready Reserve in 1964 at the 922 Tactical Hospital under the 433rd Airlift Wing (Alamo Wing) at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. She continued to serve there rising to the rank of Major in 1972. She was assigned to Retired Reserve in 1988, officially ending her military career.

She went on to receive her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas School of Nursing at UTMB in Galveston, TX, later returning for a Perceptorship for a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She specialized in pediatric and diabetic care working as pediatric supervisor at Valley Baptist Medical Center, as head nurse of the pediatric unit and then as patient education coordinator at South Texas Hospital in Harlingen. She also participated in a variety of outreach programs in conjunction with Su Clinica Familiar and the University of Texas Health Science facility. She became a Certified Diabetes Educator and ended her career after 50 years of health care service with Columbia Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville as Director of the hospital's Diabetes Wellness Center.  She indeed rose to be a highly respected leader and pillar of the health care community in South Texas.

Evangelina is survived by her son, Juan Carlos Garza, daughter-in-law, Anna Stwora-Garza, her two granddaughters, Sophie and Isabella, numerous nieces and nephews in San Antonio, and deeply cherished friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Paula and Mercedes Garza, her sister, Lina Garza Prince, and her niece, Lina Marie Prince Guerrero.

Evangelina will be returning home for visitation at Trinity Funeral Home Chapel in Harlingen on Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7:15 p.m. A funeral mass of Christian burial will take place at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Harlingen on Friday, June 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Internment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park in La Feria.