Maria Elva Gonzales

Maria Elva Gonzales went be with our Lord on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, after losing her battle with cancer. Her husband, son and family remained at her side while her long journey came to an end. Funeral Mass: 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 29, at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Parish, 1927 SW Green Oaks Blvd. | Arlington. Interment: 1:00 p.m. at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, Dallas. Visitation: 4-6 p.m. Sunday, October 28, with a rosary beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington. Honored to be her pallbearers are her Brothers, Arnold, Bobby, and Alex, Brothers-in-Law, Jim Taylor and Ernesto Gonzales, and Nephew, Michael Chavez. Maria Elva was known to her husband, son and family as Elva, while her co-workers knew her as Maria. Maria Elva was born to Eva and Arnoldo Cisneros on November 22nd, 1949 in Raymondville Texas where she was raised. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Salvador A. Gonzales and her son Joseph Lamar Gonzales (Joey, to all of us) and his wife Lara. Maria Elva leaves behind five brothers and sisters: Arnold (Bea) Cisneros, Alberto (Colleen) Cisneros, Alejandro (Judy) Cisneros, Elma (Emilio) Chavez, Edna (Jim) Taylor. She is survived by many nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. Elva's passions included gardening, sewing, dancing and especially traveling. Her desire and love for traveling was made possible when she married her high school sweetheart, Salvador, a sailor in the U.S. Navy and was able to visit and live in many places during their time in the service. The many cities she called home for over twenty years included: Kingsville, Pensacola Florida, Millington Tennessee, San Diego California, Warminster and Horsham Pennsylvania, Dallas Texas, Woodstock Georgia and finally retired in Arlington Texas. Although Elva was a certified legal assistant through her certification from Durham Business School in Harlingen, Texas, she was a stay-at- home mom until Joey was older. She began working as a Teacher Assistant after volunteering for parental involvement programs. She worked for 25 years in the education field including serving as secretary for Title 1 Pre-K and later secretary for the Title One Administration office that oversaw all of the Pre-K programs. Elva and Salvador enjoyed traveling together to places in the Mediterranean, including visiting Barcelona Spain, Florence, Pisa, Rome and Pompeii Italy. Other travels included Cozumel, Hawaii Islands, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Cancun and Mahogany Bay to name a few. After retiring a few years ago she continued serving her community by serving as a volunteer for the TRA Association, Mission Arlington Annual Angel Tree and the Salvation Army. She served on the Pre K Child Care Association and was involved with Arlington ISD Retired Employee Association. One of her pride and joys was her hosting of a Christmas open house every November as a Mary Kay consultant. She was a great host. She attended St. Joseph Catholic Church. Maria Elva touched many lives and was always a good wife, a wonderful mother and an amazing oldest sister to her siblings, a good neighbor, and a great friend. She was kind, loving, committed and a perfectionist. She was precise, meticulous, and well-organized. She was one of a kind and will be greatly missed by all. Wade Family Funeral Home (817) 274-9233