Imelda Esparza Gonzalez

Imelda Ann Esparza Gonzalez went home to her Lord and Savior on the 29th of June 2024 at the age of 63. Imelda was born on the 5th of September, in Corpus Christi, Texas to David and Mary Ann Esparza. She was welcomed home in Heaven by her husband, Adrian, of 20 years. She was predeceased by both of her parents, her brother Michael Esparza as well as her nephews David Esparza and Baby Jesse.

Imelda was a true trailblazer during her life. She paved the way for others as a successful Hispanic female entrepreneur. Known to many in her family as Booboo, she was an intentional and loving sister and aunt. Her proudest accomplishment was being a mother and grandmother.

Imelda is survived by her children Mari (Scott) York, John (Katrina) Esparza, Mariann (Luis) Gonzalez, Adrian (Ceri) Gonzalez, and Jeremy Beasley; seven grandchildren, Stephen and Kristopher Guzman, Taylor, Chase, Jaxson and Cruz Beasley, and Nailah Gonzalez; along with great-granddaughter Suriyah Guzman. She also leaves behind her mother-in-law, seven siblings, and thirty-one nieces and nephews.

As a student at Sam Houston High School, Imelda learned to prepare income taxes and provided services for free at the local library. Later in life, she would apply this knowledge while working at the Electronic Tax Center in Northline Mall. She established a passion for tax preparation and in 2005, she created the Gonzalez Tax Center where she acquired a community of clientele that she treated like family. She loved connecting individuals and was often the first person sought after for assistance. If you needed help with something, she had a contact for you.

Imelda loved life and lived it to the fullest. She was an avid sports fan, loyal to her favorite teams. On any given day, you’d likely find her sporting an Astros or Dallas Cowboys jersey, or one of her many Baylor University shirts. She bled blue, silver and orange and she flung her green and gold afar. She made a habit of attending Astros Opening Day and witnessed game 6 of their 2022 World Series victory. Her love for Baylor University began in 2010 when her daughter Mariann began attending, and there was no doubting her love for the school. In April of 2024, Imelda was honored by Baylor University with an Alumni by Choice diploma. She also enjoyed traveling, visiting as many states, national parks, and countries as she could. There was never an adventure she wasn’t willing to partake in. Her childlike joy was infectious and often on display during her visits to Disney World, where she’d ride any attraction with her family and help them skip the lines. What she loved most of all was her family. She made each family member feel special, and her luggage was always full with gifts for each grandchild, niece, and nephew.

The family would like to thank Dr. Anne Alaniz and the clinical team for saving Imelda’s life in 2016 and providing exceptional oncology care over the years. A special thank you to Dr. Lizabeth Riley who went beyond the call as her primary care provider, and Dr. Clifford Dacso for ensuring she was treated only by the best at Baylor College of Medicine.

Friends are invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until nine o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 8th of July at Brookside Funeral Home, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, Texas 77030. A rosary will be led by Jesse Cobian on Monday, the 8th of July from seven o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening.