Ernestina Garza

Ernestina “Tina” Gonzalez Garza, of Brownsville, Texas, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2026, in Bellaire, Texas, surrounded by her loving family. She was 85 years of age.

Tina was born on November 12, 1940, in Brownsville, daughter of the late Bernardo R. Gonzalez and Josefa Buenrostro Gonzalez, and was the third of six children. After graduating from Brownsville High School in 1959, she earned her Associate of Arts degree from Texas Southmost College in 1983 and her Master of Education degree from Pan American University at Brownsville in 1986. Tina met the love of her life, Antonio “Tony” Garza, Sr., in Brownsville, and they were married for over 40 years until his death in 2011.

Education was Tina’s profession and her calling. She dedicated decades of her life to teaching bilingual and special education in the Brownsville Independent School District, including at Martin Elementary and Gonzalez Elementary. Through her patience, skill, and passion for helping others, she taught countless children to overcome reading difficulties, giving them the foundations they would need to succeed later in life.

Tina loved to spend time with her family and spent countless hours in the kitchen cooking delicious meals that her children and grandchildren alike enjoyed. She loved to read about current events, including the latest health news, and she had a strong work ethic. She was a long-time member of St. Luke Catholic Church, where her faith was a source of strength and guidance throughout her life. She will be remembered for her quiet perseverance, her deep love for her family, and her unwavering commitment to her students and community.

Tina was a devoted and loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her sisters, Eresvita G. Torres and Elva Bautista; her sisters-in-law, Francis Garza, Irene Gonzalez, and Mary Lou B. Gonzalez; her brother-in-law, Juan Bautista; her sons, Antonio “Tony” Garza, Jr. and Sergio Garza (Vanessa); and her beloved grandchildren, Adriana Sabastian Garza, Alejandro Miguel Garza, and Carina Isabel Garza.

Preceding Tina in death are her parents, Bernardo R. Gonzalez and Josefa Buenrostro Gonzalez; her brothers, Eleazar Gonzalez, Bernardo Gonzalez, Jr., and Jose Enrique “Henry” Gonzalez; her brother-in-law, Miguel Angel Torres; and her husband, Antonio Garza, Sr.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Treviño Funeral Home, 1355 Old Port Isabel Rd., Brownsville, between the hours of two o’clock in the afternoon and nine o’clock at night. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at ten o’clock in the morning on Friday, March 27, 2026, at St. Luke Catholic Church, 2800 Rockwell Drive, Brownsville. Burial will then follow, via an escorted procession, within the Buena Vista Burial Park, 5 McDavitt Boulevard, Brownsville.

Tina’s legacy of love, learning, and faith will live on in all who had the privilege of knowing her.