Tributes

Lucile “Lucy” Lozano took her last breath on October 27, in the same way that she spent her 95 years, surrounded by love and with her husband, Roy by her side. Born in 1929 on the day of each year when the sun shines the longest (June 21), it was fitting that Lucy would light up any room she walked into. The second of Tony and Esther Vela’s four girls (siblings Mary, Mona, and Lydia), Lucy grew up on the southside of San Antonio. From a young age, Lucy always seemed to be at the center of attention, whether she was leading her sisters off to get into some kind of trouble as a kid or putting boys in their place as a teenager, she always found herself in the spotlight. It was at San Antonio Tech High School (later renamed Fox Tech) that she caught the attention of one of those boys, Roy Lozano, who was to be her husband of 73 years. But Lucy had a plan. She was a modern woman intent on getting her education, graduating high school, and building the life she dreamed of. She didn’t have time for the distraction a flirty boy from around the block would bring. Roy was the good-looking, smooth-talking guy that would stand in the doorway of the classroom and ask Lucy for a kiss to enter. To his dismay, she brushed passed him daily. Ultimately, his persistence paid off, but with a catch. Lucy would only go on a date with him if her sister, Mary, and best friend could go to. You see, he needed to not only show her he was worth her time, but also get the approval of those closest to her. From that moment forward, whether separate or apart, Roy and Lucy shared a romance that ran deep and wide for the better part of a century. Lucy graduated high school in 1947, and with Roy deployed to the Pacific in the aftermath of WWII, she set out to make something of herself. With a spirit of independence and skills in notetaking as well as typing, Lucy landed a job at The Commercial Recorder and Daily Bulletin as a court and records reporter. Every morning, she would catch the bus to downtown and spend the day dashing between the newsroom and the various courts in San Antonio. Her evenings and weekends were spent with her sisters and best friend Mary Louise going to the movies, dancing, and making big family meals with her mother. After several years of writing letters back and forth, Roy finished his tour of duty in the Navy and returned home to Lucy in San Antonio. On September 2, 1951, Roy and Lucy married and settled down in a small house on Recio St. to start a family. Roy Jr. “Buddy” came in 1952, with Roger, Rachel, Diane, and Debra to follow over the next decade. Although raising five kids wasn’t always easy, especially with two mischievous boys who once locked her out of the house to feed one year old Rachel an entire can of Crisco, and daughters that would intentionally walk their brother Roger blindfolded into a tree, Lucy created a home that was full of love. Her ability to share this love would become a hallmark of her life. To accommodate their growing family, Lucy and Roy moved to a large house in Denver Height across from Page M.S. in 1962. One year later their high school best friends Frank and Mary Louise Elizondo moved in next door and together the Lozano's and Elizondo's created an even larger, chosen family that now spans generations. Lucy’s warmth didn’t just extend to those closest to her either. Just ask the hundreds, if not thousands of kids who would stop by Lucy’s porch after school to grab a snack, perhaps learn a life lesson, and have a safe place to wait for their ride across several decades. In 1974 Lucy became a grandmother for the first time, and for the last 50 years her biggest priority has been to love, cherish, and empower her 10 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. From tricycle parades that looped her house, to cascarón wars in her back yard; from sewing Halloween costumes, to altering prom dresses; from homemade tortillas and chorizo on Saturday mornings, to caldo de pollo when they were sick; from weekends spent roaming the pulga, to high school and college graduations; from holding them at Baptism, to giving them a final blessing from her death bed, Lucy was the grandmother they all needed in so many ways. In each of them she instilled a strong sense of self-worth, determination, and a joy for life. Lucy was many things; a sister, reporter, seamstress, swim lesson instructor, youth sports coordinator, jewelry hoarder, slot machine aficionado, baker, sports fan (Spurs, Cowboys and Longhorns), Fiesta San Antonio lover, and many more. However, above all else, she was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who was unafraid to stand up for what she believed, was always willing to lend a helping hand, and never shy about being the first to “mover el bote”. In death she joins her son Buddy, son-in-law Raul Rangel, and granddaughter Ivor Garcia, as well as many other loved ones in the kingdom of heaven. She is survived by her husband Roy, children and their spouses Roger & Diane Lozano, Rachel Rangel, Diane & Clay Garcia, and Debra & Mando Lopez, daughter-in-law Helen Lozano, sister Mona, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Rosary services will be held on Wednesday, November 6 at 6 PM (visitation starts at 5 PM) at Alamo Funeral Chapels, 624 N. Alamo St. Funeral Mass is on Thursday, November 7 at 10 AM at St. Cecilia’s, 125 W Whittier St. with burial at San Fernando Cemetery II to follow.

Tributes

Lucile "Lucy" Lozano

June 21, 1929 - October 27, 2024