Luis "Nando" Cortez

Luis Fernando Cortez, 73, died May 26, 2009. A faithful servant of God and beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, he was known as “Nando” by all those who knew and loved him. Nando is survived by his wife of 46 years, Maria Isabel Vasquez Cortez (Cheve); four children: Fernando, Maria Teresa, Alejandro, and Enrique; five grandchildren: Elizabeth Kelley, Cristian Nicolas, Daniel Vincent, Aaron Martin, and Sarah Ruth; three brothers and four sisters: Marta, Carmen, Cecilia, Margarita, Salvador, Enrique, and Antonio, daughters-in-law Edith Juarez and Michelle Fay, and brothers and sisters-in-law Mundo, Clarence, Norma, Carmen, Patricio, Sister Caroline, Sister Cecilia, Ernesto, and Alejandro. His parents, Enrique Hernandez Cortez and Maria de Jesus Estrada Cortez, preceded him in death. Nando was an inspiration to all who knew him. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, worked as a City of El Paso police officer, and a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. Nando had a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he was the first Hispanic to become an assistant warden and helped negotiate the first prisoner exchange treaties with Mexico and Bolivia. Upon retiring, he served as the director for Alternative House, a halfway home, and worked as an investment advisor with Waddell and Reed. Nando was a Master Catechist for the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, serving his community teaching RCIA candidates and was a member of the Serra organization and the Knights of Columbus. Visitation will be Sunday, May 31, 2009, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home West, with a recitation of the rosary at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, June 1, 2009 at 10:30 a.m., at St. Matthews Catholic Church. Interment will be at Mount Carmel Cemetery. Luis dedicated the last fifteen years of his life to support the growth of vocations for the Catholic Church. He was very active in this cause and we know that he would be very happy to see that he could continue to serve in this way. The Cortez family would like to ask that, if you wish, in lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to: Vocation Office - El Paso Catholic Diocese. Attention: Sr. Rachel Vallarta, MJMJ Assistant Vocation Director 499 St. Matthews Street El Paso, Texas 79915. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home-West.