Edward Avelar was born to Rudolph and Maria de La Cruz on March 7 1944. From what I've been told he was a handful from the beginning, doing what young boys do best, getting into trouble. One of the most memorable stories is how he got into a scrap at his school and the other kid pulled out a pocket knife. even with that in his face my Dad didn't back down and he carried the scar on his face to prove it throughout his life. Soon after that into his young adulthood he meet my Mom in the summer of a year that has escaped me at Woodlawn Park. But the stories of their courtship are still with me, especially how my Mom's uncle had to be a chaperone on their dates or how my Dad was a hopeless romatic writing love letters to my Mom. They married of course and enjoyed their lives together. They raised three sons and did the best they could for them. There wasn't a time in my life where I felt he put himself first before his childern. He was a very selfless man and dedicated himself through 28 years of service for as a bus driver for VIA Metropolitan. He worked as many hours as he could, whether it was night shifts or weekends to help provide for his loving wife and childern. All the way up to my freshmen year some 18 years ago. By then I guess things just caught up with him and he suffered the first of many medical setbacks. Even with all that he still strove to provide for his family no matter how sick he would become. With out him or my Mom I wouldn't have never been able to marry my wife Karen or go on our honeymoon cruise to Cozemel, Mexico. He even provided my budding family with a home rather than see us move to a lowly part of town. I thank him everday for that, I wish I would have told him more often how I loved him. Sometimes it was just so hard to see such a strong man decline in the last couple of years of his short but extremly influentiel life. Oh how he loved his Texas Tech football and cheering for the Houston Texans. Even on the day before his death he was still rooting for the Texans from his recliner which will by my lasting memory of him. On October 31 in the year of our lord God saw fit to take him, I guess he was just his time. I know in my heart that my father is in heaven watching over his family like he's always done. I hope he is there enjoying the company of passed family and friends. He is survived by he devoted wife, Maria del Rosario. His three sons Edward Jr, Ernest, and myself (Eric). His 7 grandchildern Jonathan, Riva, Victoria, Brandon, Olivia, John, and Christianna. Also by numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins. May God watch over him because he will be sorely missed and forever loved.