San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
CARMEN ZUNIGA
May 2, 2022
Carmen Zuniga, age 83, passed away peacefully at home, on May 2, 2022, after a long illness.
Born on July 16, 1938, in San Antonio, Texas to Roger and Mercedes Saldana, and sister to Esther Saldana Herrera, Carmen was about excellence, loyalty, love, and compassion. She was an extraordinary mother, devoted wife, loving grandmother, loyal friend, and passionate educator.
Carmen graduated from Edgewood High School in the 1950’s. She was in the pep squad, choir, student government and was the class salutatorian. Carmen also attended Our Lady of the Lake University, in San Antonio Texas where she graduated in 1960 with a BA in Education. She later earned her MA in Education.
Carmen married Jesus Zuniga, Jr. in 1962. Her daughter was born in 1965 and her son in 1973. Carmen and Jesse sent their children to St. Martin Hall, Incarnate Word High School and Central Catholic High School.
Her career as an educator began in the Edgewood School District. Afterwards Carmen taught at various San Antonio Independent School District schools such as Storm elementary and Woodlawn Hills. Carmen was an educator, for a span of over 25 years. During her early teaching career in the 1970’s, she worked as a teacher for Project SER, where she taught Hispanic men and women job skills required to get employment. Carmen earned many teaching awards and certifications. During her career the most notable award was when she was selected to spend two weeks at NASA learning how to bring Space travel into the classroom.
During her retirement, Carmen worked as a substitute teacher for NISD, and as a Counselor’s Administrative assistant. In the Early 90’s Carmen ran for School Board Trustee for NISD, and was elected to serve on the Board as a Trustee and later a
Treasurer from 1995 to 2003.
Carmen was a Guadalupana with her mother and she was a parishioner of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. She had a devotion to the Holy Rosary all of her life.
She was an avid reader all her life and inspired her daughter to become a writer. Her love of the fine arts inspired her son to become an architect.
Carmen will be missed very much by her husband and family but most of all to the many friends that she journeyed through life with. Never will we find another wife, mother and friend who was as devoted and as beautiful in spirit as our mother Carmen Zuniga.
Carmen is survived by Jesus, her husband of 60 years; her daughter, Jo Anne; her son, Jesse III; daughter-in-law Jeanette; and grandchildren, Roger, Theodore, Mercedes, Patryck, Neila, Juan Carlos and Julianna; granddaughters in-law Jaime and Jessica; and
Visitation will begin on Wednesday, May 11, at 6:00 P.M. with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00 P.M. at the Angelus Chapel. Funeral Mass will be offered on Thursday, May 12, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery.