Happy Heavenly Birthday, Carlos! I hope you and Debbie are dancing today! Love and miss you forever!

My father, Robert Corona, and Carlos were best friends since their Galveston days. Carlos meant the world to us and I truly loved him like an uncle. He was such a loving friend to my dad and our entire family. He would pop by or call to check in with my dad always. And, when he didn’t, I always missed Carlos. I would ask my dad all the time “where’s Carlos?” and if he had called. Sometimes it would seem like forever. As a little girl and even as a young single mom, he always had a big warm hug and $20 bill for me. He loved my daughter and treated her just like he treated me, like his own family. He was family!  After my dad died in 2003, my mom only heard from Carlos once or twice but we never quit missing, loving, thinking, praying and wondering about him. His name came up at every family gathering. We will forever miss Carlos. My mother called me yesterday to tell me she had just “googled” and learned he had passed away with his beautiful bride the same day due to Covid. I felt my little girl heart break and my 53 year old heart break. Carlos was so special to us. He loved my dad, me and my entire family with his big heart.  Please accept my condolences. He was so special and just a beautiful person. I know him and my dad are laughing/cracking up and telling crazy stories of their childhood days. As always, I will miss Carlos for the rest of my life. 

Today we miss Carlos and Debbie as much as we did a year ago. Such a wonderful, loving couple who were a joy to have as our next door neighbors for many years. I hope they are dancing in the sky. I know for sure Debbie is in the angel choir!!!

Joe and I would double date with Carlos on Saturday nights to John's Oyster Resort!  That was the late Fifties!
Will miss the phone calls "Just checking up on you guys" 
Rest in Peace my friend!

I met Carlos through my best friend Carla when he was dating her mom. I was truly blessed to get to know this man. He had a huge heart, loving, caring and funny. He was so nice, warm and friendly to be around. I never got the pleasure of meeting his wife, but I heard great things about her. Many prayers go out to their families and friends. Carlos you will be missed!

Carlos was a part of our family for nearly 13 yrs. We made so many great memories together. I was so fortunate to be there on the births of his grandchildren. We traveled to so many places around the world. Shared lots of time with family and friends. He was a very happy and loving man. I'm so blessed to have known and shared our lives together. I know he and Deborah were meant to be. Was happy they were married and had a wonderful marriage. He was one of a kind and I shall always be thankful he was a part of my life. I have lost another part of my heart to a very loved friend. God be with his family and friends.

Carlos Gutierrez was a friend from Ball High School and the First Presbyterian Church in Galveston, Texas. We attended the Friday Night Youth Group at the church and many other church activities. He married one of my best friends. He was a good guy with a nice family.

And thank you, Georgia, for including me. Eternally grateful! Quite the lady.

Always and 4EVER in my ❤!! I miss you soooo much! I love you! Carlos you were an amazing man and I will never 4get you!!! Touched by this angel

Mom (Debbie) and Carlos were two of the most generous and genuine people I have ever known. I guess we bonded when Debbie's son (my now husband), Shannon (or David, as some of the family calls him), was in the hospital for heart issues. They trusted me to stay with him overnight and make some small decisions about his care while they got some much-needed rest at a nearby hotel. I have respected and loved them ever since.

I miss making that call to Debbie when Shannon makes me mad! ;) I miss her advice. I miss Carlos's stories, especially when Debbie wasn't around and he could be uncensored (no sex crap, just funny stories. That man got away with everything)!

Dear Papa and Tata,

You two have shown me what true love looks like and I strive to love everyone just like y’all did. You taught me to always have compassion for others, especially strangers as you taught me very well that strangers were just friends you haven’t met yet. You always reminded me to cherish each day. You encouraged me to always do my best and that my best would always be enough. I’m so grateful to have had the honor of being your granddaughter. I will continue to listen to all the great advice you have given me over the years and I will honor your memory by always indulging in delicious Tex-Mex food. Anytime I take a picture of Sunny, my Golden Retriever, I will be sure to send one to heaven.

That promise I made to you, Papa, about always sending a picture of Sunny to you two in Heaven prompted me to write a beautiful poem as you always did love reading the poems I wrote when I was a little girl.

Its called “Send One to Heaven”:

“When I take a picture of Sunny, my adorable puppy, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When we go to your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant in town where everyone knows your name to order those delicious tacos, I’ll be sure to tell the chef to send one to heaven.

When I cook a breakfast burrito with sausage and eggs in the special way just like the way you made yours, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I’m eating a juicy grapefruit covered with lots of sugar, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

Or even when I’m eating the perfect ripe plum, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I’m riding the massive beach waves, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I see a rainbow and find a pot of gold filled with shiny coins, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I catch a moment of happiness and joy, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When life makes me smile, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I see a marvelous sunrise or sunset that takes my breath away, I’ll be sure to ask God to send one to heaven.

When I see a shooting star and I make a wish, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I cross paths with a beautiful butterfly, who are heaven’s greatest messengers, I’ll be sure to tell the butterfly to send one to heaven.

When I’m giving my thanks and gratitude to everyone at my future wedding, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

When I give someone a warm tight hug just like the biggest bear hugs you used to give me, I’ll be sure to send one to heaven.

I’ll be sure to send one to heaven whenever I’m thinking of you.

I love you Papa and Tata and I’m sending you guys great big bear hugs.”

Carlos and I were life long friends. As boys, we grew up in the same neighborhood on the West end of Galveston Island. We went to Ball High school together, both graduating in 1957. Galveston was a fabulous place to grow up during the fifties. I have many great memories too numerous to mention here. I knew his brothers, sister and parents. We were college roommates at Lamar Tech for a time.
   One day Carlos acquired a used but beautiful black and white 1956 Chevy 2 door hardtop. He took me and a couple of other buddies for a demo ride. We were flying down the Bolivar road towards High Island at night. It was somewhat foggy. Suddenly we came to a fork. Carlos swerved. The Chevy rolled completely over and ended right side up. We had no seat belts and no injuries.
   I joined the Coast Guard in 1959 and only had sporadic contact with Carlos until I retired and moved back to Galveston. We visited a few times and kept in regular contact.  My wife and I met Georgia.  Carlos was one of my best friends throughout life. He will be sadly missed.

I remember talking with Carlos, weeks before he died. We had talked about death, in the past few months. We would joke about death, as in, "are you still here"? Then, we would laugh, and talk about what I had been doing. He always asked me, where I was and what was I doing. But, he seemed so guarded, about Norma and me visiting. He would put me on Hold, and check with Debbie. The answer was always, it's not a good time. But, he always asked me to call him, when I returned to Carrollton. But, the last time that I spoke with Carlos, I said, "I don't guess that I will see you again". He had no reply. But, I was talking about the covid-19. And, how people did not want visitors. And, the covid-19 was never going away. He thanked me for calling. We said bye, and I called Carlos, when I returned to Carrollton. I got his voice message. Debbie called me back, and left a message, that she and Carlos had covid, and he was in the hospital. She sounded very hoarse, to the point that it was hard to understand her. I will never know, if he or Debbie already had covid.

I remember that Carlos had a "game" that he liked to play. It was, can we make it to D/FW in time to catch the flight to Las Vegas. He would wait until about 30 minutes before the departure time. Then, we would leave for the airport. We did not even have tickets. And sometimes, I would be running for the gate, just before the door was shut on the plane. We always made it. We would gamble all night. Then, take a flight back to D/FW, the next morning.

I remember when I first became friends with Carlos. He was the "boss". He called me into his office one day, and said, "I understand that you are dating a Mexican woman". We were friends, until the day that he died.

I remember Carlos as a "big spender". No matter what type of establishment, he would always give the waitress a big tip, as we were being seated. He said that was for better service. It always worked. The waitress would ALWAYS be checking our table, to see if she could get us anything.

I remember when Carlos (George) and Debbie (Georgia) got married (George and Georgia were their "pet" names for each other). At the office, I used to walk the Galleria shopping center at lunch, if I didn't have plans to go out for lunch. I had noticed that a company that sold computers had about 6 computers out in the walkway, that could be used by the public. When Carlos told me that their wedding would be on the Internet, Norma (wife) and I made a point to use one of those computers, to view their wedding. Later, after they had returned, Debbie told me that she had a heck of a time, getting Carlos to wear that tuxedo. Carlos was not a tuxedo type.

Carlos was a good man. He was my friend. I miss him.

I love you both so much and will miss you until the day you greet me in heaven! So glad that I got to spend as much time with you as I did. You both loved people so well ...setting a wonderful example for me and everyone else. My dad Carlos also taught me: how important family is, how to treat people, to work hard but also to dance, laugh and have a good time. I love you Daddy!