Maria Angelita "Helen" Gonzales, 72, of China Grove, Texas, entered eternal life with the Lord on Saturday, August 22, 2026, surrounded by her beloved sons, family, and dear friends.

Helen was born on October 13, 1953, on a farm in Parita, Texas, to Bruno, Sr. and Simona (De La Rosa) Gonzales. In 1961, the Gonzales family moved to China Grove, where Helen attended Sayers Elementary and Oak Crest Middle School, graduating from East Central High School in 1973. During her high school years, she played clarinet and bass clarinet in the Golden Hornet Band and was an avid club baseball and softball player.

Always a caregiver at heart, Helen spent her twenties selflessly caring for her elderly parents until their passing. In her youth, she enjoyed taking care of her family, bowling, and taking weekend trips to the coast in her 1974 Chevy Nova and 1978 Chevy Camaro. On October 15, 1983, she married Jose Anacleto Benitez. Together they built a home and were blessed with two sons, Ricardo Rafael and Reynaldo Rolando, while also welcoming Jose's children, Iris Yesenia and Edwin Alexander Bonilla, into their extended family. Though their marriage later ended, the family remained deeply close and supportive of one another.

As her sons entered school, Helen actively volunteered, which inspired her career in education. She became a special education teacher for three- and four-year-olds at the East Central Development Center (ECDC). From 1998 to 2005, she was also a devoted band mother and booster member for the East Central Golden Hornet Band, where she became a beloved "second mom" to countless students who cherish her memory to this day.

Above all, Helen lived as a faithful follower of Christ. Baptized at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church as an infant, her family later joined the Southern Baptist faith, where her father and several brothers served as pastors. Despite facing various health challenges, Helen never lost her faith, putting every burden into the Lord's hands. Until her last breath, her greatest joy remained her relationship with Christ and her love for her two sons, whom she affectionately called her "miracle babies."

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Bruno and Simona Gonzales; her brothers, Joaquin, Simon, Jose Maria, Jorge "George", Miguel "Mike", and Julian Gonzales; her sister, Maria Gloria Woods; and her sisters-in-law, Rachel Gonzales and Noemi Gonzales.

She is survived by Jose Anacleto Benitez; her sons, Ricardo Rafael Benitez and Reynaldo Rolando Benitez; Iris Yesenia and Edwin Alexander Bonilla; her brothers, Felipe "Jesse" Gonzales, Juan "Johnny" (Minerva) Gonzales, Bruno, Jr. (Irma) Gonzales, Gilbert (Nena "Helen") Gonzales, and Robert Gonzales; her sister-in-law, Mary Gonzales; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends across the Gonzales and De La Rosa families.

Services & Memorial Information

● Visitation: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Heritage Oak Mortuary (2502 S. W.W. White Road, San Antonio, TX 78222). A Prayer Service will begin at 7:00 PM.

● Funeral Service: Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Town East Baptist Church (5866 US-87 East, San Antonio, TX 78222). Visitation will take place from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, followed by the Funeral Service from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Services will also be live-streamed at www.tebc.org.

● Interment: Burial will follow at the Gonzales Family Cemetery (Cementerio Santa Isabel, 11176 Stuart Road, San Antonio, TX 78263)