Roll Call Tribute

Published in Houston Chronicle on Dec. 17, 2017

Ricardo Erasmo Garza(1948 - 2017)
Ricardo Erasmo Garza
1948-2017
Ricardo E. Garza of Houston, TX, passed away on Friday, October 27, 2017. Ricardo was born on June 23, 1948, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. He is preceded in death by his parents Roberto and Mercedes Garza and by his much-loved twin brother, Jose Luis Garza (Elia).
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Maria Delfina (Fina) Cantu Garza, his two sons, Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Raul Garza (Sonia) and David Nicolas Garza (Heather), and his highly treasured nine grandchildren: Jacob, Daniela, Sophia, Isabel, Paulina, Nicolas, Luke, Lily and Gabriela.
He is also survived by six siblings: Mercedes Schinas (John), Adriana Lopez (Luis), Alicia Russell (Roy), Roberto R. Garza (Judith), Faustino Garza (Holly) and Octavio Garza (Lisa). Special in his life were Aunt Victoria Uribe of San Ignacio, TX, and Aunt Rita Flores of Florida. Also, special to him were his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Cynthia and Douglas Trichel, who shared a double-wedding ceremony with Ricardo and Fina in 1970. Additionally, Ricardo was very close to many of his cousins, nieces and nephews.
As a young boy, living in Nuevo Laredo with dual citizenship, Ricardo walked across the Rio Grande International Bridge twice a day with his twin brother, Luis, to attend St. Joseph's Academy in Laredo, TX. He graduated valedictorian of his class in 1965. So began a lifetime of friendships with his mighty St. Joe classmates . . . .
Ricardo attended Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering. A self-made man, Ricardo worked his way through college as a gas station attendant and a waiter at Texas A&M Duncan Dining Hall. During the summers, he worked on offshore drilling rigs. He graduated with honors in 1969. So began a lifetime of friendships with his Texas A&M fellow Aggies . . . .
After graduating from college, Ricardo served as an officer on a nuclear submarine from 1970 to 1975. He attended Officer's Candidate School, Nuclear Prototype School, and Submarine School. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, father of the Nuclear Navy, interviewed Ricardo which led to his service as a lieutenant on the U.S.S. Lewis & Clark Nuclear Submarine SSBN 644 Gold Crew. So began a lifetime of friendships with his fellow Lewis & Clark Nuclear Submariners . . . .
Ricardo began his career in the Oil and Gas Industry in 1975 as a reservoir engineer for Tenneco Oil Company. He then served as vice-president and petroleum engineer for Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Ricardo then started his own business. He founded Solo Engineering Inc., serving as president and owner for 36 years (1981-2017). Thereafter, he assisted and guided many others in starting their own successful businesses. He was a licensed professional engineer in Texas and Mississippi. He performed thousands of engineering evaluations, served as an expert witness in hundreds of lawsuits, and participated in more than 50 trials. After completing in-depth engineering evaluations, he was known for building handmade, to scale, 3D models to help jurors better understand complex technical concepts. He was particularly known for using common items such as marbles, sand, mason jars and sporting clays for his demonstrations. He loved to share his expertise with fellow engineers, lawyers, trial lawyers, paralegals and jurors. This blend of legal and engineering professions led to a strong supportive network of esteemed colleagues who grew to trust and rely on him. So began a lifetime of many professional and ultimately personal friendships . . . .
Ricardo had a lifelong passion for health and fitness. He entered and completed numerous triathlons, marathons and Iron-Man competitions. He accomplished his goal of completing one or more of these events at least once and sometimes twice a year for 43 years. Two of his favorite events were running in the New York Marathon and representing the USA in the World Iron Man in Perth, Australia. So began a lifetime of friendships with his fellow athletes . . . .
Ricardo loved being in the outdoors. As a young boy, he earned the Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Award. As Scoutmaster for Houston Troop 842, he shared his leadership skills with his sons, who also earned the Eagle Scout Award, and with many other scouts. Ricardo led multiple high-adventure backpacking and whitewater canoeing trips from 1981 to 1989. He went on to start BSA High Adventure Post 644, providing older scouts the opportunity to continue their pursuit of outdoor adventure. So began a lifetime of friendships with his fellow Boy Scouts . . . .
Ricardo was a voracious reader. He had two or three books going at all times. He was interested in a variety of subjects, ranging from high adventure backpacking to military strategy to geologic characterization to advances in alternative medicine. Ricardo's passion for helping others led him to develop an effective healing blend of essential oils that he enjoyed sharing with his family and close friends.
Ricardo's many accomplishments were surpassed only by his love of family and friends. There is no doubt that he considered his family the greatest gift he had received from God and of which he was most proud. Ricardo touched all our lives and taught by his example, advice & guidance.
His greatest qualities were helping & giving his all to every endeavor he pursued. He was dedicated, prompt, organized, detailed and genuine with high integrity, strong work ethic and a great sense of humor … traits we all strive to instill in ourselves.
We are thankful for the gift of his love and friendship. It was a pleasure, a privilege and an honor to have known him. We can all take comfort in the fact that his legacy surrounds his family and a lifetime of friends.
Ricardo's happiest moments were spent reading while sitting on his porch swing at his beloved log cabin in the woods.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 5, 2018, at 11:00 am at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veteran's Memorial Drive, Houston, TX, 77038. Internment with full military honors will take place at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veteran's Memorial Drive, Houston, TX, 77038.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Fisher House Foundation at http://www.fisherhouse.org. The Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.





Funeral Home
American Heritage Funeral Home
10710 Veteran's Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77038
(281) 445-0050