Mary Lou (Barrientes) González

BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Mary Lou (Barrientes) González passed away at home on Friday, the 7th of March 2025.

Born in Port Isabel, Texas on September 29, 1936, Mary Lou was a lifelong Catholic and woman of faith, daughter of four, devoted wife and mother of five, schoolteacher, playful grand- and great-grandmother, and involved community member of Brownsville, all hand-in-hand with the love of her life of more than sixty-five years, the late Henry González.

Mary Lou attended Incarnate Word Academy and Villa Maria where she was a proud member of the Blue Darts Cheerleading Squad and graduated in 1955. She then matriculated to Texas Woman’s College in Denton to begin her studies in education. Junior year, she married her high school sweetheart, Henry, in 1957 and joined him in College Station as he finished school at Texas A&M University. The two would promptly start their family and eventually made their way home to build their life in Brownsville and she would finish and earn her degree from Pan American College in Edinburg.

She taught many students during her more than fifteen years of teaching at Sacred Heart, Skinner, and Russell Elementary Schools, many of whom she continued to recognize even in her later years. She retired to become the full-time caregiver for her mother and, eventually, her father. Raising their five children and managing their home was a noble feat, always supporting their activities, cooking delicious meals, and traveling to visit them in Aggieland and at Texas Christian University.

Mary Lou and Henry were highly involved in serving the community. She would become a “First Lady” of Brownsville alongside then Mayor González, where she could always be found elegantly dressed by his side at every function, Charro Days parade, and special event. She served on the Pan American Round Table, the Costumes of the Americas Museum, the Red Hat Society, and supported numerous charitable organizations. In her later years, she and Henry could always be spotted dining around town, at one of their grandchildren's functions or athletic events, at daily Mass, escaping to Aggieland for Aggie Football games, or at home baking crème brûlée and cheesecakes for her friends. Her faith was paramount to her – never going a day without her prayer and rosary routine. She loved getting together with her “Birthday Club” and cookies and sweets were her favorite food group. Reading the newspaper every morning, listening to Elvis, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffet, Andrea Boccelli and more, and watching Fox News, the Golden Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Elvis movies were favorite pastimes.

She will be missed immensely.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Consuelo “Snookie” (Aguilar) and Justo Barrientes, Sr.; by her devoted husband, Enrique C. “Henry” González; and by her brothers, Justo Barrientes, Jr. and Antonio “Tony” Barrientes.

Mary Lou is survived by her children, Henry (Rita) González, Cissie González, Lettie González, Magda (Charles) Tandy, and Justo Emilio González; her grandchildren, Louie (Sally) Hernandez, Alexandra (Jayton) Rainey, Joseph van’t Hooft, Henry van’t Hooft, Justo Emilio González, Jr., and Rita (Heli) Rodriguez; her great-grandchildren, Ronin Hernandez, Violet Hernandez, Vicente Rodriguez, Nicolas Rodriguez, and Valencia Rainey; her sister, Margarita Barrientes; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, the 12th of March 2025 between the hours of five o'clock in the afternoon and nine o'clock at night, with the recitation of the holy rosary to begin at seven o'clock Wednesday evening within the East Chapel of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at ten o'clock in the morning on Thursday, the 13th of March 2025 at the historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 602 E. Elizabeth Street, Brownsville. Entombment will then follow, via an escorted procession, at the Buena Vista Burial Park Mausoleum, 5 McDavitt Boulevard, Brownsville.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are her grandsons, Louie Hernandez, Justo Emilio González, Jr., Joseph van't Hooft, Henry van't Hooft, Jayton Rainey, and Heli Rodriguez.

Mary Lou’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Todd Shenkenberg, numerous nurses, physical therapists, and loving caregivers for the excellent care and attention provided until her final days.

The González family wishes to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation for the countless friendships and support of their family and mother, Mary Lou, over the years. In lieu of floral arrangements and customary remembrances, to honor her memory and passion for education, tremendous pride for being married to an Aggie from the Class of ’58, mother to four Aggies ('80, '81, '83, '84), and grandmother to three Aggies ('15, '15, '18), anyone is welcome to make a memorial gift to the Mary Lou and Henry González ’58 Endowed Memorial Aggie Ring Scholarship established in 2023. This scholarship will perpetually afford Texas A&M University students, who graduated from a Brownsville high school and demonstrate a financial need, their coveted Aggie Rings. To make a memorial gift in her name, please visit: tx.ag/HenryGonzalez.

Memories of Mary Lou may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com.

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey, CFSP and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111.