Jesse Diaz Garza completed his earthly journey and was peacefully called to Heaven on January 22, 2026. Born in San Antonio, Texas, on January 4, 1959, Jesse was the eighth of nine children born to Julian Zepeda and Inocencia Diaz Garza.

Some of Jesse's fondest childhood memories were summers spent at the Corpus Christi beach—days filled with sun, wind, and the simple joy of building sandcastles alongside his siblings and dear cousins. That spirit of joy and connection remained with him throughout his life. A proud product of the Edgewood School District, Jesse attended Edgewood Elementary and Junior High before graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in 1977. During his school years, he played trombone in both middle and high school bands. He later pursued higher education at Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

As an adult, Jesse was deeply engaged in his community and civic life. A dedicated citizen, he was actively involved in local, state, and national politics. For more than eight years, he was elected and served as the Democratic Party Precinct Chair for the Alonzo Perales Elementary voting center and was a strong, consistent voice in Edgewood school board elections.

Jesse's commitment to service extended into his spiritual and personal life. For over 37 years, he devoted himself to the recovery community, where he served as a mentor and source of love, guidance, and support to countless individuals. It was here that Jesse found his life's purpose. Through his leadership in ACTS Retreats with St. Mark the Evangelist, he helped many discover their own paths to faith. As a regular volunteer at Haven for Hope, Jesse was widely admired as a pillar of kindness and compassion, helping many on their journeys toward recovery.

Even in his final days, Jesse's strength and character shone brightly. He faced his illness with grace, greeting every visitor with a smile and his trademark sense of humor. He made his final decisions with peace and clarity. True to his generous spirit, Jesse's final act was the donation of his body to medical science, in the hope of helping physicians better understand SMARCA4, the rare form of lung cancer that led to his passing.

Jesse was preceded in death by his parents, Julian Zepeda. and Inocencia Diaz Garza, and by his siblings Abel Diaz Garza, Irma Garza Ramos, Julian Diaz Garza, and Irene Garza Rangel.

He is survived by his brothers Manuel, David, Daniel (Amy), and Felipe Garza; dear cousins Oralia (Manuel Arevalos) and Olivia Ramirez; in-laws Peter Rangel and Martha Pearsall. "Uncle Jesse" will be deeply missed by his 28 nieces and nephews, 31 great-nieces and nephews, 2 great-great-nieces, and a large extended family of cousins.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Dr. Elena Jimenez-Gutierrez and her team at University Hospital for the valiant work they performed caring for Jesse in his last weeks.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Haven for Hope , on behalf of Jesse Garza.