Antonio 'Tony' Cortez

Antonio "Tony" Cortez, 78, of Othello, died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, at the SunBridge Care & Rehabilitation Center in Moses Lake with his children at his side.

Tony was born on Nov. 15, 1929, in La Grulla, Texas, to Pedro and Corina (Garcia) Cortez. He married his childhood sweetheart Julia Ybarra in La Grulla on June 23, 1946. The family settled in Othello in 1962 where he went to work as a fertilizer applicator truck driver for PJ Taggares. When Wilbur Ellis purchased the fertilizer operation Tony stayed on with them. He retired once when he was 65 but they called him back and he stayed until 2002.

Tony's passion was his family. He loved the weekend Barbecues, family gatherings of any type, Ranchero music, and especially dancing, sometimes traveling to Sunnyside on a Saturday to go dancing with Julia. He enjoyed traveling with Julia, summer trips to Texas to see their family and the trips to Hawaii. In later years Tony's passion was caring for Julia.

He will be remembered as an honest, loving and giving man. His vegetable garden often fed the neighbors and friends who stopped by to visit. In fact no guest of his house went unfed or left without something for the trip home. Even when he was in the hospital Tony instructed his daughter Velma to put together five fruit baskets for specific people, one in particular, for a man he had never met, but who had trimmed Tony's apple tree when he was unable to do so. Tony made friends easily and was well respected by those who new him. He was "the best."

Tony was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife Julia, a son Rosendo, his great-grandson Michael DeLeon Jr., a sister and four brothers.

He is survived by his two sons and daughters-in-law Efrain (Blanca) Cortez of Mission, Texas, and Leo (Dalia) Cortez of Moses Lake, his daughters and sons-in-law Alicia Enriquez of Hermiston, Ore., Emma (Johnny) Dick of Pasco, Nellie Cortez of Kennewick, Marie Esmeralda (Sheldon) Hitchcock of Moses Lake and Velma (Joe) McKerlie of Othello, three brothers, Hernan of Sunnyside, Ponciano of La Grulla, Texas, and Olegario of Pine Bluff, Ar., 24 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

A time for final visitation has been set aside at Stevens Funeral Chapel in Othello, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, beginning at 3 p.m. and continuing until 7:30 p.m., with the rosary being prayed at 6 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Othello, with burial to follow at Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens.

The family would like to thank the staff at Kadlac Medical Center of Richland and SunBridge Care & Rehabilitation Center of Moses Lake for their tender loving care of their father.

You are invited to view this obituary, sign the guest book and light a candle for Tony at stevensfuneralchapel.com.