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BERNICE D. CASTILLO March 27, 1931 – January 18, 2017 Bernice D. Castillo went peacefully to be with the Lord on January 18, 2017 at the age of 85. She was born on March 27, 1931 in San Antonio, Texas to Ahren Welman Duke and Francisca Pacheco. She is preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert T. Castillo and her parents and her brother, Ahren Welman Duke II. Bernice is survived by her daughters, Bernice M. Schaub (Gary) and Mary E. Luna; sons, Albert D. Martinez, Robert D. Martinez and Adam J. Castillo; grandchildren, Eric, Travis, Viola, Veronica (Kory), Damien (Ann) and Stephanie; great-grandchildren, Eli and Evelynn; Neal and Blake; Maliya, Ethan and Kendall; Destinee, Serenitee, Chasadee, Chloee, Lexee, Jacob and Joseph; nieces, Mary Dolores Freitag (Gunther), Sophia Duke Gonzales, Sarah Duke, Frances Ramirez (Albert); nephew, Ahren Welman Duke III. Our Mother loved God and her family immensely; she always worried about us. She loved all animals. She loved her pets, cats and dogs. But her sweet, lovable and loyal calico cat, Patches, we must admit was her true companion for many years. So much so, that Patches passed away one day after her death. Now they are together which gives us such peace. She cooked and baked with love. That was her favorite thing to do. She never followed a recipe choosing to experiment and create the most amazing dishes. Also, her second enjoyment was gardening, her flowers. People driving by would slow down to just stare at her amazing array of flowers, in all different colors. Roses were her favorite. She was a go-getter. In fact, she referred to herself, and others who knew her well, as the Energizer Bunny. She loved to laugh. Once she got started, she could not stop. Played loving pranks. She was feisty. She loved music and dancing. As a young girl and into her later years she loved to kick up the dust with her extreme knowledge of the jitterbug, swing, cumbias, polkas and many more. She loved to shop for clothes and jewelry and when she could not shop at the malls, she loved shopping on QVC and HSN, so much so when the UPS driver delivered her packages, he would refer to her as “Mama.” She was a real trooper all the many years while suffering with her osteoporosis. Pain and all, she never let it get her down, never a quitter. She left this world with so much grace. We thank God for the honor and the privilege of having had her as our Mother and Grandmother. We will love her “always and forever” as she used to say. Our deep gratitude goes to Dr. Heberto Garza, Jr. and his right arm, Nurse Bobbie, for the care and attention they gave our Mother all through the many years. Especially what Dr. Garza did towards the end of her life. And thank you to Vitas Healthcare Staff, special thanks to Ana and Chaplain Virginia. And to the Northeast Baptist Oncology second floor Nurses, special thanks to Vanessa and Josie and Chaplain Lauren and special thanks to Chaplain Kim. She stayed with us to the very end and lifted us up when we thought we could no longer stand. My family will never forget. And our deep appreciation to Mission Park North Funeral Home for their very caring staff. Special thanks to Rick Edwards and Barrett Simmons. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? “She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world”. [John 11: 25-27] Psalm 121 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. “The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore”. The Open Gate by Thomas Kinkade Thoughts surround your mind today That cause your heart to grieve The moment is approaching When you will turn to leave Envision with me if you will A place beyond death’s gate Life goes on forever there And beauty never fades Sickness can’t gain entrance And death has lost its hold Tears are wiped by God’s own hand And no one can grow old The moment that I left you here I stepped into that place Prepared for me and ready When I stepped through the gate SERVICES: Visitation will be held at Mission Park North on Monday, January 30, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Interment to follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery

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Bernice D. Castillo

March 27, 1931 - January 18, 2017