A.M. "Sandy" Aguilar

A.M. “SANDY” AGUILAR. On June 11, 1925 Videll and Walt Gamble welcomed the newest addition to their family. Sandy and her family lived outside Terrell, Oklahoma but had to move to Burkburnett, Texas because of the Great Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Sandy grew up dirt poor but with a desire to care for herself. After graduating from Burkburnett High School she travelled to El Paso, Texas. She initially worked as a waitress at the Del Camino Motel. She studied bookkeeping and became very proficient. She met her husband Ray. Together the two of them began to work to improve their and their children’s station in life. Sandy was the woman behind the man but she was also a very strong woman in her own right. She worked as a bookkeeper for a number of years for El Paso Wrecker Service. In 1978 she opened her own company, Sun City Salvage Pool. She began with $5,000.00 from her savings, a borrowed motor home and a plug in telephone. She put everything she had into the business. She opened Sun City Wrecker because she did not like the prices charged by other towing services. Her salvage pool grew to where it had 1,000 members. She treated each member as a friend. The towing company serviced every major automobile dealership in El Paso County, Texas. She worked for, and with, every law enforcement agency, city, county, state and federal, in El Paso County, Texas. She kept her customers due to excellent service provided to each of them. In 1995 she sold her companies to Copart Auto Auctions and continued to work until 1999 when she retired. She and her husband moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2002 and lived with their daughter Margaret and her husband Jesse. On July 7, 2012 her husband Ray died. He was buried in El Paso, Texas. While traveling back to San Antonio after his funeral she became ill and was first hospitalized in San Angelo, Texas and then San Antonio, Texas. She died on August 2, 2012, one day before her 63rd wedding anniversary. She, like many others born during her oath believed hard work, honesty and integrity were the keys to success. She was right. Her siblings, Marie, Billie, Sandra and Philip, had all predeceased her. She leaves behind her two sons, Tony and Michael and two daughters, Margaret and Teri, a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her family believes that anyone who dealt with her on a business basis was treated respectfully and honestly. The members of her family will miss her since she was an inspiration to each member. Visitation will be held Wednesday August 8, 2012 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm with a 7:00 pm vigil. Graveside service will be held at 10:00 am Thursday August 9, 2012 at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Services entrusted to Martin Funeral Home Central 3839 Montana Ave. www.FunerariaDelAngelMartin.com