Jerry Ochoa

Jerry T. Ochoa, 87, of Galveston, Texas, and most recently of Boulder, Colorado, passed away peacefully at his home on August 30, 2025.

He was born on September 21, 1937, in Falfurrias, Texas to Gumara (Torres) and Gerardo Ochoa. He was educated in Galveston public schools, graduating from Ball High and continuing his education at Galveston College and College of the Mainland. After serving his country in Korea as a Specialist Fourth Class, Signal Corps, Jerry returned home and continued a lifetime of service and dedication in many forms. He worked in the Galveston shipyards, later became Supervisor of Mails with the United States Postal Service, and went on to teach with the Hitchcock Independent School District. During his teaching years, he founded the chess club at Stewart Elementary, encouraging students to grow through strategy and play. He also gave back to his community as a Little League baseball coach, a blood donor, and a volunteer for voter registration.

Jerry loved his dogs, his horses, and his books; favorite authors included Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and John Grisham. At thirteen, he bought his first horse and rode on the Galveston beaches. He took his last horseback ride at age 85 in New York City. In his youth he was a boxer, and he kept fit all his life, lifting weights and running. Once he ran a 5K across the Galveston Causeway. He continued the Ochoa tradition of excellence in carpentry by building onto his family home in Hitchcock. He later used his home renovation skills on his children’s homes. A music lover, he enjoyed concerts with his family from bluegrass to classical to rock. In his eighties he flew to Las Vegas with his beautiful wife to hear Willie Nelson. His favorite performers were his children and grandchildren singing harmony and playing violin, piano, cello, guitar, ukulele, clarinet, drums, banjo, flute, and electric bass.

He will be remembered for his devotion to family, his quiet strength and reliability, and the kindness and humor he shared with all who knew him.

He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 52 years, Mary Louise Smith Ochoa; his children Michael (Denise) Ochoa, Rachel Ochoa (Shannon Rivers), Jerry Daniel Ochoa (Andrea Serra), and Jessica Ochoa Hendrix (Justin Hendrix); his grandchildren Tayler Ochoa (Trinity Lowe), Ashley Ochoa, Michael (Alyssa) Ochoa, Caleb Rivers, Leonard Rivers, Austin Hendrix, Clara Ochoa Hendrix, and Felix Ochoa; and his great-grandchildren Leonardo Marquez, Jacqueline Ochoa, and Parker Lowe. He is also survived by his brothers Frank, Robert, and Phil (Debi Wolfe), his sister Nora (Manuel) Moreno and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sons, Jerry Avery and James, and his sister Linda (Saul) DeRanieri.

A service will be held at Greenwood & Myers Funeral Home in Boulder on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.