Marselo Lozano

Marselo "Sunny" Lozano, Jr., 55, of Waco, was called home to the Lord on Friday, February 13, 2004.

[b]Funeral Mass[/b]
The funeral procession will depart from OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. with Father Lawrence Soler officiating.

Interment will follow in Oakwood Cemetery where a horse-drawn hearse will be used to carry his casket.

[b]Visitation[/b]
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at OakCrest Funeral Home with a Rosary at 7 p.m. A memorial video of his life will be shown continuously during the visitation.

[b]Personal Life[/b]
Marselo was born January 14, 1949, in Waco to Marselo and Matilde T. Lozano. Sunny served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart as an Airborne Ranger with the 75th Infantry, H Co.

He was a graduate of LaVega High School and the University of Texas, Arlington. Sunny was elected to serve on the Waco ISD School Board for 10 years and was a McLennan County Constable for Pct. 8 for eight years. He was a member of the VFW Post 2148. He worked as a Technical Engineer for Bell Helicopter.

Above all Sunny enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandkids. He will be missed.

He was preceded in death by his father and one grandchild.

[b]Survivors[/b]
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Juanita "Janie" Salinas Lozano; a daughter, Miramar Jessica Lozano; three sons, Marselo Gregorio Lozano and wife Mia Carla, Marcos Diego Lozano and wife Teresa, and Moses Carlos Lozano; three grandsons, Nathan L. Hernandez, Marselo G. Lozano Jr., and Marcos D. Lozano, Jr.; three granddaughters, Madison J. Lozano, Miesha J. Lozano and Maresa D. Lozano; his mother, Matilde T. Lozano of Bellmead; three sisters, Matilda Lozano of Waco, Katie Mojica of Temple, and Elizabeth Lozano of Minnesota; a brother, Carlos Lozano of Waco; 22 in-laws, and many other relatives and friends.

[b]Pallbearers[/b]
Pallbearers will be Marselo G. Lozano, Marcos D. Lozano, Moses C. Lozano, Antonio "Tony" Pina, Nathan L. Hernandez, and Carlos Lozano.


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[i]From The Waco Tribune Herald[/i]

Marselo "Sunny" Lozano, the voice of Hispanics on the Waco Independent School board in the 1990s, died unexpectedly Friday, February 13, 2004. He was 55 years old.

Services were pending with OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque, Waco, 772-5272.

"It's a shock beyond belief," said Robert Gamboa, a Texas State Technical College administrator and Hispanic civic leader. "It saddens us all when someone of Sunny's stature passes away."

Lozano, a Bellmead native, represented South Waco on the WISD board from 1990 to 2000, then resigned to run for county commissioner.

Lozano was remembered as a strong leader in the Hispanic community.

Jill McCall, who served on the school board from 1990 to 1996, said Lozano was a "polite and considerate" man who had strong opinions but respected other people's opinions.

"I remember him as being a real advocate for his constituents in South Waco," she said. "But he was really an advocate for all children. He wanted all kids to receive a quality education. He was truly a good man."

Gamboa said Lozano's hope as a school board member was that more Hispanic parents would become involved in the school system.

"If there was one thing he really focused on, it was parent involvement," Gamboa said. "He wished the Hispanic community would take a more high-profile position."

Lozano, a La Vega High School graduate who had art degrees from several colleges, was a graphic artist who worked at L-3 Communications and its predecessors, including Raytheon and Chrysler Technologies. Gamboa said Lozano had recently become a contractor for L-3 and was spending more time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Lozano served as an Army Ranger sergeant in the Vietnam War and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

He later was active in the effort to build a Vietnam memorial in Waco. His other community activities included youth boxing and Little League.

Sonny was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

He is survived by his wife, Juanita Lozano; three sons, Marselo, Marcos, and Moses Lozano; a daughter, Miramar; mother, Matida Lozano; three sisters, Matilda Lozano, Katie Mojica, Liz Lozano, and a brother, Carlos Lozano.

He was preceded in death by his father, Marselo Lozano, Sr., in 2003.

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