Tomas Baeza Ornelas, 88, of Presidio passed away May 21, 2015 at University Medical Center in El Paso.
He was born August 23, 1926 in Presidio to Regino Ornelas and Luz Baeza Ornelas.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran where he served on the USS Lipan.
Tomas Ornelas
He married Celina Aguilar in 1951 in Presidio. They lived in Arizona and El Paso for a period of time, eventually returning to Presidio where they raised their four children.
He worked at Casner Motor Co. of Marfa, Alpine and Presidio for many years.
Mr. Ornelas owned and operated Tom’s Service Station since the late 1970s where he worked with his sons Tommy and Norberto for many years before retiring.
His family remembers him as a joker and someone with a very good sense of humor. He made friends easy and when he worked for Casner’s, he would help people with their car payments when they couldn’t make the payments themselves.
He liked baseball, was a good pitcher, and for a time played with the El Paso Tejanos baseball team.
Mr. Ornelas loved deer hunting and always came home with a harvested deer.
His hobby was purchasing, refurbishing, and selling antique cars.
Survivors include his wife, Celina Ornelas; their sons Tomas Ornelas Jr. and Norberto and his wife Mercy Ornelas; his two daughters, Luz Elena Flores and husband Jesus, and Laura Hernandez; also eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son-in-law, Rufino A. Hernandez; his two sisters, Manuelita Ornelas of Presidio and Elviña Rivas of Monahans; and his only brother, Juan Ornelas of Millville, New Jersey.
Visitation was Wednesday, May 27 at Santa Teresa de Jesus Catholic Church in Presidio with funeral Mass on Thursday, May 28, with Fr. Mike Alcuino officiating. Burial was in Presidio’s Desert Hills Cemetery.
Pallbearers were his grandsons Adrian Flores, Jesse Flores, Abraham Ornelas, Juan Ornelas, Benjamin Ornelas, and Rufino A. Hernandez Jr., and a nephew, Juan Rivas.
Sunset Funeral Home East of El Paso is in charge of arrangements.