GALVESTON   Maria Alicia Markette age 91 of Galveston, passed away peacefully at 4:25 pm, Monday, June 17, 2024 at Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston surrounded by her loving family. Funeral Mass is 10:00 am Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Father Stephen Payne Celebrant. Burial will follow at Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock under the direction of Carnes Brothers Funeral Home. The family will receive visitors at the funeral home Monday from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm with a rosary to be recited at 6:30 pm.

Alicia was born December 15, 1932 in San Antonio, Texas to Abel Delgado Juarez and Maria Villalobos Juarez. She graduated from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio and thereafter graduated from the Baptist Nursing School in San Antonio. She met Dr. James Rickard Markette, while doing a Nursing internship at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in San Antonio. After a four year courtship, they were married in 1954 and had two sons. The couple moved to San Antonio where Jim did an internship at the Robert B. Green Hospital and joined the USAF being stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio and later they were transferred to the Panama Canal Zone. While Jim served as Captain and flight Surgeon, he and Alicia traveled extensively throughout Central and South America also traveled to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Puerto Rico and Haiti. Returning to the States spending one year at Albrook S.A.C. Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas, which ended Jim's military service. The couple then moved back to Galveston, where Alicia worked as a nurse for over 30 years in Psychiatric Alcohol and Substance Abuse at UTMB. She was considered La Reina or "the Queen" of El Groupo, establishing the first Hispanic AA Group in Galveston. She was a firm believer in education, the first in her family to receive a formal education. A Hispanic lady who was a head of her time. She was a great mother and aunt to her nieces and nephews and great and great- great nieces and nephews, never missing a birthday or special occasion, sending a card and gift to her family that she dearly loved. She was a true fashionista, who loved to shop and dress like the first-class lady that she was. This is a trait that she shared with her many female relatives that gave her great joy.  A lady of great faith, Alicia was a member of Holy Family Parish where she educated her children with a catholic education and in the faith of the catholic church. She was a regular attendee at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Abel V. Juarez; son Jerald Ray Markette; former husband James Rickard Markette, M.D.; aunts and uncles Teodoro and Asencion Palacios, Pedro and Conception Sandoval, Solidad Gonzalez and Tony Juarez; brothers in law, B.B. Markette, M.D. and wife Margaret, Joe Bob Markette and wife Doris, son, Jerald Ray Markette, uncles and aunts in law Lester, Bert Callicotte, Charlie and Bridget Garrett, Mike and Jean Rickard and Barney Rickard.

She is survived by son, Rickard James Markette and (CeCe Palomo) of Galveston; brother Gilbert Juarez and wife Debbie of San Antonio and Robert Juarez and wife Carrie of San Antonio; sisters-in-law Alice Juarez of San Antonio and Jessica Juarez of San Antonio; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews; many other extended family and friends, goodbye dear friend.

The family would like to give a special thanks to the Dr.'s and staff at UTMB.