RET. BARRERA

Ret. USAF TSgt Raymundo M. Barrera passed away peacefully at his residence on Monday, June 13, 2016.

Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Placida Pea Barrera, their six children, Nora M. (Jim) Keithley, Raymundo (Marla) Barrera Jr., Cynthia Y. (John) Witt, Sandra Y. (Tim) Goodrum, Carlos H. (Irma "Dee Dee") Barrera, and Judith M. (Joe) Barrientos, 20 grandchildren and their spouses, and 29 great grandchildren, with another one on the way. He is also survivedby parents of some of his grandchildren, Dora Vela, Luis Guerra, andFelipe Rodman. Additionally, he is survived by brothers and sisters, Luis Martinez, Elvira M. Zertuche, Maria Elena Garcia, Aida Torres, and Cayetano Barrera III.

Raymundo is preceded in death by his mother, Maria Martinez, his father, Cayetano Barrera II, and brothers and sisters, Carmen Martinez, Alma Siporin, Anna Guerra, Olga Gonzalez, Velia Valadez, Tula Sanchez, Luis Barrera, and Ernesto Martinez Zamora.

Raymundo was a strong and valiant man. In the spring of 1944 at the age eighteen, he dropped out of high school to enlist in the Army Air Corp. In February 1945, he was deployed to Germany during the Central European Theatre of Operations. With the 342nd Infantry Regiment, Raymundo helped liberate POWs, including a childhood friend from Mission, Texas. On another deployment, this time on a ship en route to the Philippine islands, the men heard the good news that the war had ended. That was on September 2, 1945. After World War II, Raymundo joined the Army Air Core. Then when the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947, Raymundo enlisted and served until his retirement in 1969. Following his retirement, he and his family relocated to Laredo, Texas.

He earned his GED and after his retirement received an honorary diploma from Mission High School. He had also earned a diploma in radio and television servicing, certificates in bookkeeping and accounting, real estate, and refrigeration and air conditioning, and he graduated from Laredo State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

Raymundo and his wife, Placida, celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary on June 4, 2016. During their 66 years together, they enjoyed diverse cultures and friendships with people from around the world. Their first home together was on Wright Patterson AFB in Cleveland, Ohio, then at Griffiss AFB in Rome, New York. They moved to Presque Ilse AFB, Maine where Nora was born,then onto Fort Ethan Allen in Burlington, Vermont where Ray Jr. was born. While Barrera served in the Korean War, Placida gave birth to Cynthia in Mission, Texas. Upon his return from Korea, Raymundo and Placida moved to McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas where Sandra was born. From there they moved to Tachikawa AFB, Japan where Carlos and Judith were born. In 1959, Sergeant Barrera was stationed at Laredo AFB, Texas for three years. Then they moved to Camp Walker, Taegu, South Korea. After a year, Raymundo was transferred to Yokota Air Force Base in Tokyo, Japan. The family lived off base before moving to Johnson Family Housing Area. They stayed in Japan for almost four years before moving stateside to Forbes AFB in Topeka, Kansas. After a year there, Raymundo retired from the military.

He thenworked as a Military Police Officer on Laredo Air Force Base. Later, he became a teacher and taught in schools in both Roma and Laredo, Texas. He was an active member of the American Legion Post 59, the Korean War Association, and the VFW Post 9194. He served as commander of the VFW for two terms in addition to serving in various other positions in the posts.

Raymundo taught his children to be responsible, active, forward thinking, and patriotic citizens. He engaged his children in board games including Casino, Monopoly, and chess. Outdoors, he taught them to roller skate, ride bicycles, swim, and to walk on stilts ranging from a half foot to five feet high. He created his own family softball team. Every child had chores, and he literally performedwhite glove inspections in the rooms and checked for hospital corners on the beds. At bedtime he would line-up the children and check for brushed teeth and clean finger nails. He bought his oldest daughter a brand new Yamaha piano and encouraged her to practice and to gain an appreciation for classical music. He encouraged all his children to master musical instruments. At times when decisions had to be made, he enlisted the Barrera family commandment: majority rules.

"I think I did well, but you can do better." He encouraged his children with this sentiment. In that light, the family would like to honor his memory by asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Placida P. Barrera to be used by their heirs for furthering education and training.

The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers, Barbara Sanchez, Araceli Valera, Clara Castan, Karen San Miguel, and Lupe Lopez for their loyal help with Raymundo and his family.

The family will be receiving condolences on Saturday evening, June 18, 2016 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels, 1410 Jacaman Rd.; where a Rosary will commence at 6 p.m. Deacon Crispin Soto will be reciting.

Rite of Committal and Interment will be conducted on Tuesday morning, June 21, 2016 at 10:45 a.m. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. Military Honors will be provided by Lackland Air Force Honor Guard.

You may express your condolences and sign the guestbook online at: www.joejacksonfuneralchapels.com

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of the funeral service professionals at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels, 1410 Jacaman Rd., Laredo, Texas 78041; (956)722-8850.