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Irene Ortiz Gutierrez was peacefully called home by our Lord on April 14, 2023 after a short illness. She was 86 years old, born on December 11, 1936 in San Antonio, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Adolph Gutierrez and son Jerry Gutierrez, parents Margarito Ortiz and Petra Gonzales Ortiz, brother Mauricio Ortiz (Amelia), sister Refugia Ortiz Gonzalez, in-laws Theodore and Delores Gutierrez, brothers-in-law Jesse B. Canedo and Efrain Gutierrez, and sister-in-law Armida Gutierrez Garcia (Henry). Irene is survived by her children Letty Gutierrez Novosad (Neil), Melissa Gutierrez, and Adolph Gutierrez Jr., granddaughters Rachel Elizabeth Goolsby and Sarah Nichole Goolsby (Bobbie Joe Garza), sisters Margarita Ortiz Canedo, Cecilia Ortiz Trevino (Jose), and Santa Ortiz Almendariz (Robert), brothers-in-law Juan A. Gonzalez and Jaime Gutierrez (Nydia), sisters-in-law Yolanda Gutierrez Spratt and Elizabeth Gutierrez, as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. The love Irene had for her country was evident in the 40 years she served as a Federal Civil Servant. After graduating from Lanier High School in 1954, she began her civil service career at Lackland Air Force Base. It was there that she met the love of her life, Adolph, a Chicagoan, who had enlisted and was attending Air Force Basic Military Training. They settled in San Antonio and were married for 36 years until his untimely death in 1995. The majority of her civil service career was served at Fort Sam Houston from where she retired in 1994. Irene had a deep faith in God, the Virgin Mary, and the Catholic Church. As a teen and young adult, she was a member of the Hijas De Maria organization at St. Timothy Catholic Church. Subsequently, she became a parishioner at St. James Apostle Catholic Church while living on the south side of San Antonio. Once her and Adolph moved, she switched to St. Gregory The Great Catholic Church where she sang in the Spanish Choir for many years. Irene had a profound love for her family, especially her two granddaughters whom she adored. She enjoyed fishing, cooking and baking, singing, dancing, listening to Mariachi music, and laughing especially at family gatherings where she was sure to bring frijoles and her homemade hot sauce from her secret recipes. In her golden years, she liked watching the Lawrence Welk show, the Waltons, classic western movies and the Hallmark Channel. She was also a huge fan of the Texas Rangers baseball team and the San Antonio Spurs basketball team.

Tributes

Irene Ortiz Gutierrez

December 11, 1936 - April 14, 2023