Alejandro De La Garza

Alejandro Ramirez De La Garza – known to friends and family as Alex – was born in Raymondville, Texas on September 25th, 1946. Raymondville is considered the gateway to the Rio Grande Valley and was a far smaller community than it is today with a whopping population of 10,000. Alex spent summers as a boy picking sugar beets and cotton with his family as part of a rural life that he loved. When he was a young boy Alex moved to Los Angeles’ inner city along with his beloved parents Teresa and Alejandro Sr. and his sisters Star, Elva and brother-in-law Melchor. With his handmade clothes and cowboy boots Alex was a fish out of water in 1958 at Virgil Junior High in the Rampart neighborhood adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles. It was his great humor that helped him acclimate to gritty urban life. He often attributed his humor as the key to getting along with the local gang members.

Nicknamed “Curly,” Alex was an energetic song leader at Belmont High School in the Temple/Beaudry area of Los Angeles. He would whoop up the crowds for football games dressed as the school mascot Davy Crockett. Armed with a big personality, Alex was a major presence in high school. His charm, penchant for storytelling and good looks made him popular with the ladies. His friend Gloria Estrada introduced him as a high school senior to a red-headed beauty from Watts named Yolanda Apodaca. After meeting at a high school dance they became inseparable. Alex enlisted in the Air Force in 1964. He and Yolanda married at the age of 19 and began living a military life for a few short years moving to different locations across the U.S.

Alex was a highly gifted aircraft mechanic. He would often accompany large missions as a key member of the crew to locations across the globe. One of those locations was Vietnam. We believe routine exposure to agent orange in Vietnam was a causal link to Alex contracting Parkinson’s Disease later in life. The horrors of Vietnam also caused Alex great distress throughout his life and he only began to discuss those painful memories in his late 60s.

Alex and Yolanda eventually settled in South Gate California. In 1968 Alex and Yolanda were blessed with the birth of their first child Valarie. In 1975 they welcomed their son Michael to the family. Alex worked at the Gas Company as a serviceman for nearly 20 years and was excited to often call upon celebrity customers.

After 16 years of marriage Alex and Yolanda parted. In the mid 80s Alex embraced his country roots and could be spotted line dancing with a Stetson hat and trademark boots. During this time he married Barbara Gonzales and moved to Perris California where they could keep a horse and experience a more rustic way of life which they greatly enjoyed along with Barbara’s daughter Christina. They divorced a few years later but Alex continued to love open spaces.

In 1992 Alex was blessed once again with the birth of Jessica with his then partner Roann Watkins. Like Valarie, Jessica was born with Alex’ tight curly hair and wide grin. Alex enjoyed being a father again during this new phase of his life.

After trying his hand as an entrepreneur many times Alex moved into the electrical trade in the late 80s and loved it. He ushered his son Michael into the craft and mentored many other young men in the trade along the way. When the market crashed ushering in the Great Recession in the early 90s Alex found work sparse. He pivoted to sell hardware commercially throughout the Southwest and Mexico. In 1995 Alex met Patricia Williams on the night of her birthday celebration at bar and grill in Mesa. He gave her a rose, asked her to dance and the greatest love story of his life took flight. He lived throughout Metro Phoenix with his beloved wife Patricia until his death.

From the 90s through the early 2000s Alex served as a master electrician on a fish farm, at nuclear facilities and in major crises as part of FEMA. His last job was perhaps his most enjoyable at Intel where illness forced him to retire in 2017.

During this time period Alex joyfully became a grandfather and “Tata” to Anabel De La Garza and Maya De La Garza (parents Michael and Anel De La Garza); Cruz De La Garza Centeno, Santos De La Garza Centeno and Gabriel De La Garza Centeno (parents Valarie De La Garza and Michael Centeno); Mario Gamez, Nicholas Gamez, Fabian Gamez and Esteban Gamez (parents Nancy and Mario Gamez).

Alex loved movies, music, literature and history. He especially loved westerns featuring John Wayne and gangster movies such as the Godfather. He was blessed with the gift of gab and enjoyed talking and often debating about current events, especially politics. He was a notorious sweet tooth and happily hoarded circus peanuts, maple nut goodies, ribbon candy and Anel’s flan whenever possible. The Original Tommy’s Burger, smothered in chili, eaten with gusto at the corner of Rampart and Beverly was like heaven to him.

He adored his children and grandchildren and would proudly brag of their accomplishments to everyone and anyone who would listen.

While a lifelong tough guy, animals easily melted Alex’ heart, especially his beloved chubby chihuahua Pinky.

Diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease took a hold on Alex’ life in the 2000s. After fighting a long battle that ultimately included contracting COVID, Alex passed peacefully surrounded by wife Patricia, children, grandchildren and friends.

He was an original. He was a force and the ultimate bad ass. He was also loving and kind. He was loved and will be deeply missed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greerwilsonchapel.com for the De La Garza family.