Maria Antonia Zapata

Maria Antonia (Toni) Zapata was promoted to Glory on February 11, 2021 at the age of 73. She was born in Edinburg, Texas on February 18, 1947 according to her birth certificate, to Rosendo Ybarra and Pauline Morales Ybarra.  She always told us that her actual birthday was on February 15th.  So we celebrate both days.  Her family were migrant workers who travelled from south Texas and finally settled in Lubbock. After her mother’s passing she raised her 5 youngest siblings and cared for them like her own children. On April 24, 1978 she married Mario L. Zapata and they shared 31 years together and had two children.  She was a hard working and loyal employee of Texas Tech University in the Housekeeping Department for over 30 years.  She had a passion for bingo and played as often as she could.  She had a talent for crochet and many were blessed by her blankets, scarves, and dolls. She was well known for her infectious and even sometimes inappropriate sense of humor.  She was loving and compassionate, completely selfless, and absolutely fearless.  If you knew her, you loved her.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Gloria Christina Zapata and Mario L. Zapata, Jr. and his wife Erika, sisters Hilaria Almanza, Noemi Castro (Rumaldo), Helen Keely (Daniel), Mercedes Ybarra, brothers Joe Ybarra (Delia) and Robert Williams.  She had one beloved grandson, Benjamin Zapata. She also had many nieces, nephews and friends who will miss her dearly.  She is preceded in death by her husband Mario, her parents, brothers Frank Ybarra, John Ybarra, and Jorge Juarez and her sister Olga Ybarra.
Visitation will be Guajardo Funeral Chapels on Thursday, February 18
from 1 to 9 pm, with a wake service from 6-8pm.  The funeral service
will be at Guajardo Funeral Chapels at 11 am on Friday, February 19th
with Majors David and Dawn Worthy of The Salvation Army officiating.
Burial will follow at Peaceful Gardens Memorial Park.