Abelino Morin Garza

Abelino Morin Garza II, 88, of Phoenix died on March 14, 2014, at Oasis Pavilion Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Casa Grande.

Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday at J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud The Gardens Chapel. The celebration of life will follow at 10. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery in Avondale.

Mr. Garza was born on Nov. 8, 1925, in Alamo, Texas, and was a son of Estanislanda and Abelino Garza Sr. A World War II veteran, he was a gunner on the USS Meriwether and served in Okinawa. He helped protect the USS Missouri at the time of the Japanese surrender. He later was a farm manager.

He was an avid sports fan and loved watching the Cardinals, Suns and Diamondbacks. He loved to dance in his younger days and loved spending time with his family. He was a cancer survivor two times.

Survivors include seven daughters, Cris Sanders of Casa Grande, Janie Morin of Texas, Sandra Federico of Phoenix, Letty Arviso, Doria Garza-Huddleston, Cynthia Patterson, all of Casa Grande, and Yvonne "Bonnie" Wood of Oregon; five sons, Abelino Garza II of Texas, Matt Garza of Phoenix, Abel Garza of Picacho, Michael "Mickey" Garza of Yuma and Jody Garza of Tempe; a sister, Gloria Perez of Texas; a brother, Johnny Garza of St. Louis; 36 grandchildren; 61 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Maria; a son, Earl Garza; three sisters, Matilda Garza, Consuelo Thoma and Feliz Flores; and three granddaughters, Nancy Garza-Symmonds, Erica Arviso and Yvette Pena.