Antonio Abel Sanchez

Donna- Antonio Sanchez, 77, passed away on Wednesday, April 4th at his home in Donna. He was born on March 14th, 1941 to Abel Sanchez and Elena Valdez in Edcouch, Texas. He was raised in Weslaco with his two younger sisters, Maria Elena and Sandra. Antonio graduated from Weslaco High School and then went on to earn his Masters Degree at Pan American University. He soon met his wife, Guadalupe on the aisles of K-Mart in McAllen and they married shortly after. Most people will remember Antonio from his many years as an educator at Weslaco ISD. He worked his way up the ladder to become the vice principal for Weslaco High School and retired after 35 years of dedication to the future leaders. He spent most of his waking hours in the Weslaco School district, whether it was nights and evenings at different sporting events or Saturdays at various competitions. He was a true leader and enjoyed education in every aspect. He brought that dedication home to his family and was a loving and caring father, someone who the children admired and respected. In his spare time, Antonio was a coin collector. He also enjoyed reading and learning about finance. He was a big football fan and loved to watch Texas A&M. Antonio developed Parkinson's disease a couple of years ago and Guadalupe retired to help care for him. He passed away at home with her by his side. Antonio is preceded in death by his parents Abel and Elena Sanchez. He is survived by his wife, Guadalupe, his children, Claudia Cantu, Eric Sanchez (Maria), Isabelle S Sanchez, and Antonio Sanchez Jr., his sisters, Maria Elena Gonzalez and Sandra Balderas, five grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 6, 2018, from 4 pm to 9 pm with a 7 pm Rosary at McCaleb Funeral Home in Weslaco. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018, 1 pm at St. Joseph in Donna, followed by burial at Sacred Park Cemetery in Mercedes. Pallbearers will be Mr. Graciano Martinez, Mr. Mike De Los Santos, Mr. Daniel De Los Santos, Eric Antonio Sanchez, Jacob Balderas, and Isaac Cantu. Honorary pallbearer will be his longtime friend Mr. Edelmiro Davila.