Jesús "Jesse" Garza Villasana December 10, 1953 – July 18, 2026

Jesús Garza Villasana, beloved father, grandfather, friend, and faithful follower of Christ, entered the presence of his Savior on the morning of Saturday, July 18, 2026, after suffering a sudden heart attack at his home in La Marque, Texas. He was 72 years old.

Funeral services are 10:00am Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Antioch Church in Galveston. Burial with Military Honors will be held at 4:00pm Saturday at St. James Catholic Cemetery in Gonzales, Texas.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, he is now "away from the body and at home with the Lord, resting in the joyful presence of the One in whom he placed all of his hope, awaiting the glorious day when Christ will return and make all things new.

Jesse was born on December 10, 1953, in Nixon, Texas, to Juan and Elbira Villasana. As a boy, he grew up in the Gonzales area, where his family worked as seasonal farm laborers. During cotton harvests, he picked alongside his family, finding welcome moments of rest beneath the shade of the water truck —a memory that stayed with him throughout his life.

He graduated from Gonzales High School in 1972 before answering the call to serve his country in the United States Marine Corps. He enlisted on July 26, 1972, faithfully served on active duty until July 25, 1974, and continued in the Marine Corps Reserve until February 27, 1978. The discipline, perseverance, and quiet strength he cultivated during those years remained evident throughout his life.

In 1977, Jesse began what would become a distinguished 35-year career with Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Texas. Through diligence and integrity, he served until his retirement in 2012 from the Dow Raw Material Center. He was a dependable coworker, a steady presence, and a man who believed that honest work was a way of honoring both God and neighbor.

In 1986, he married Gerri Rice, and together they welcomed three children: Jessica Elizabeth, Christopher Rey, and Sarah Ruth. Though life carried both joys and sorrows, nothing brought Jesse greater pride than being a father and, later, a grandfather. His home was a place where family gathered, laughter lingered, and everyone was welcome around the kitchen table.

Jesse found great joy in serving his church family at Antioch Community Church Galveston. Whether leading a Life Group, quietly serving on the facilities team, or prayerfully serving communion each Sunday, he delighted in caring for others in ways that often went unnoticed but never unnoticed by God.

He was a man who expressed love through ordinary faithfulness. He enjoyed working on his motorcycle, keeping his vehicles running well, and maintaining a lawn that reflected the care he put into everything he did. He loved cooking for family and

friends, always looking for another reason to gather people together. Some of the sweetest memories of Jesse are not tied to grand events but to long evenings around the kitchen table, where stories grew richer with each telling, jokes were shared until tears rolled, and everyone left feeling more at home.

To know Jesse was to love him. He possessed a gentle spirit, a heart of generosity, and an uncommon ability to make others feel seen and loved. He will be remembered as a devoted father, a deeply loved grandfather, a loyal friend, and a joyful servant of Christ. His life testified that greatness is often found not in extraordinary accomplishments but in daily acts of faithfulness, kindness, humility, and love.

Jesse was preceded in death by his parents, Juan and Elbira Villasana. He is survived by his beloved siblings: Richard Villasana (preceded in death by his wife, Janie), Audelia Martinez (preceded in death by her husband, Santos), Rey Villasana and his wife, JoAnn, and Raul Villasana and his wife, Carolyn; and his former wife, Gerri Mills, as well as by his children, Jessica Elizabeth Villasana, Christopher Rey Villasana, and Sarah Ruth Villasana and his cherished granddaughter, Norah Elizabeth Villasana, and a grandchild yet to be born, whose arrival he awaited with great joy.

Though our hearts grieve his absence, we do not grieve without hope. The hands that so often served the bread and wine of the Lord's Table have now been welcomed to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Until we see him again, we give thanks to God for the gift of his life—a life marked by humble service, overflowing love, and profound hope in Jesus Christ.