Mary Jane Gonzales

“You have turned my mourning into dancing.”

Psalm 30:11

Mary Jane Brown Gonzales was born on October 20, 1954, in Waco, Texas, to Erlinda Rodriguez DeLeon and Carlos Vicente Brown, Sr. Although she was born to Erlinda and Carlos, Mary Jane was raised by the man she knew as her “real” father, Pedro Sanchez.

Mary Jane passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28, 2026, leaving behind a large and loving family and countless memories that will continue to be shared for generations.

Mary Jane was a woman who lived life in her own way. She was proud of her Mexican heritage and loved Mexican food, especially the food she made herself. She was known for making the biggest, best homemade tortilla, the kind that could turn an ordinary meal into a family gathering.

She loved Mexican and Tejano music, and if there was music playing, there was a good chance Mary Jane was ready to dance. She enjoyed a good drink, a cigarette, good conversation, and, most of all, the company of people around her.

Mary Jane was not perfect, and she never pretended to be. She was simply Mary Jane: spirited, personable, memorable, and uniquely herself. She had a way of connecting with people, and those who knew her will remember her personality, her laughter, her stories, her cooking, her music, and, of course, her dancing.

Her life was filled with chapters, some beautiful, some difficult, and all uniquely hers. What remains are the memories: the meals shared around a table, the music playing in the background, the laughter, the dancing, the conversations, and the moments that seemed ordinary at the time but became precious with the passing of years.

Mary Jane leaves behind a family that spans four generations, a beautiful reminder that her story will continue long after her passing.

She was preceded in death by: Her parents; her siblings, Frank Lopez and Lilly Mae DeLeon Macedo; her nephews, Lionel Lopez and Nathan DeLeon; and her former husbands, Robert Garcia and Asuncion Gonzalez.

She leaves to cherish her memory: Her brother Gilbert DeLeon of Kent, Ohio. Her children: Patricia Garcia Cooper (Stuart); Shawndale Garcia (Chris Maldonado); Nicole Brown Zepeda (Chris); and Gilbert Anthony Gonzales (Laura). 

Her 17 grandchildren: Lorenzo Porter; Nicole Robitaille Keahon (Brian); Ariana Cooper Gutierrez (Dominick); Ashley Cooper Brown (Dustin); Sebastian Ramos; Tristian Ramos; Leonisio Maldonado, Gilbert Gonzales, Jr.; Ariel Gonzales; Ielanie Zepeda; Honey Gonzales; Michael Lopez, Jr.; Jordan Lopez; Christopher Zepeda, Jr.; K’Leianna Zepeda; Miley Ray Gonzales Dorrell; and Mason Zepeda. 

Her 17 great-grandchildren: Aviana Gutierrez; Kiaden Porter; Joaquin Saenz; Sorin Gutierrez; Ahmius Gutierrez; Arianna Garcia-Fuentes; D’Angelo Ramos; Natalie Ramos; Lilliana Ramos; Arrenissia Reyes; Khloe Ramos; Aniyah Ramos; AJ Reyes; Dominick Cooper-Gutierrez; Michael Lopez, III; Samuel Sardaneta; and Amaris Falcon.

Her two great-great-grandchildren: Elias Porter and Santiago Gallegos.

She also leaves behind nieces and nephews Juan Estrada (Linda), Jesse Estrada (Adriana), Jason Estrada, Shannon De Leon, and Chris Caskey, along with extended family, friends, and many others whose lives she touched.

Celebration of Life

Grace Gardens Funeral Home and Crematorium

Friday, October 9, 2026

Family Visitation: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Service: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Mary Jane will be cremated following the service. Her cremated remains will be interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas, at a later date.

Repast

Sacred Heart KC Hall

2621 Bagby Ave.

Waco, Texas

Those wishing to contribute food for the repast may begin dropping off food at the church hall at 1:00 p.m.

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A Final Farewell

Mary Jane came into this world in Waco, Texas, and left behind a legacy measured not simply in years, but in people.

Four children.

Seventeen grandchildren.

Seventeen great-grandchildren.

Two great-great-grandchildren.

Four generations carrying pieces of Mary Jane forward.

So today, we mourn her absence, but we also celebrate her life: the woman she was, the memories she created, the people she loved, and the family that will carry her story forward.

Rest peacefully, Mary Jane.

May the music play.

May the dancing continue.

And may your tortillas always be as big as the memories you left behind.

Until we meet again, keep dancing.