Dora G. Jaime and A.C. "Beto" Jaime

On July 25, 2020 Dora Garcia Jaime ran to the love of her life, Adalberto Casares "Beto" Jaime, who waited to dance cheek to cheek through the gates of heaven together. Like a true gentleman, on July 23, 2020, A.C. race walked through the gates of heaven to begin working with the Angels, Saints, and our heavenly Father to prepare for his loving wife's arrival. A.C. and Dora were the perfect embodiments of God's eternal and unconditional love, who bestowed this love onto their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Dora, age 84, was born in Pharr, Texas. She attended Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School and Pan American College where she earned her Licensed Vocational Nurse Certificate. She served the community as an LVN working at McAllen General Hospital. Dora, a woman of tremendous faith, was an active member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church. She loved studying the bible and attended Bible Study Fellowship for multiple years and encouraged her children, their spouses, and grandchildren to attend as well. One of her greatest joys was working alongside her husband serving as Office Manager of his CPA firm.
A.C., "Beto", age 84, was born in Premont, Texas. Born into poverty, too poor for shoes, his beloved sister made clothing out of potato sacks. He studied hard, was a stellar athlete while playing football, earning All-District and All-Area accolades, and went on to college where he worked multiple jobs to put himself through school. He attended two years at the University of Houston, and then graduated from Pan American College where he completed his Accounting Degree in 1960. He obtained his CPA certificate in 1963 and started his practice as one of the first Hispanic CPAs in the Rio Grande Valley, where he continued to practice for over 50 years in McAllen, TX. But A.C.'s accomplishments went far beyond being a CPA. A.C. started his community service through the McAllen Jaycees as Board Member for the McAllen Junior Chamber of Commerce. He served his church and city communities as Parish Council President at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Pharr and as President of the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church Credit Union. A.C. was elected as Pharr's first Hispanic Mayor (1972-1978), he and his administration were instrumental in easing the racial tensions that had built up during and before the 1971 Pharr riot, and succeeded in obtaining the U.S. State Department Presidential Bridge permit for the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge. As board member of the Rio Grande Valley Development Council, he helped obtain funding to start the Amigos Del Valle Senior Citizen program and served as its first president. He served as Treasurer for the South Texas College Committee, was on the Board of Directors for the Vannie Cook Cancer Treatment Center, qualified multiple times for the Senior Olympics in Racewalking after becoming Texas' 5K Racewalking Champion in 1998 for his 60-64 age bracket. He carried the Olympic torch prior to the games in Atlanta in 1996, served as the 2006 USA Track and Field Junior National Head Coach for the boys and girls Race Walking team. As founding President of the South Texas Walking Club, he coached and mentored numerous children of various ages to National Race Walking Championships and helped them earn full college scholarships. He received the distinguished honor of being named 2000 Pharr Citizen of the Year, and the 2004 Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award recipient. The USA Track & Field National Race Walk Committee awarded A.C. the 2005 Mike Riban Outstanding Contributor Award for his inspiration and development of many of the talented young race walkers in the country. A.C. is proof that one can achieve greatness no matter what their circumstances, if the desire is strong enough. A.C. would himself say he could not have accomplished what he did without the support and encouragement of Dora. We will always be grateful that he instilled in his children and grandchildren that hard work ALWAYS pays off.
Dora and A.C. were married in 1957, and so began the world's greatest love story with over sixty-three blessed years of marriage. A.C. and Dora were proud parents of six children: Adalberto "Bert" (Cindy) Jaime Jr., Jorge (Judi) Jaime, Linda (Bob) Dalton, Rene Jaime, Doreen (Rich) Morgan, and Jaime Kevin (Anabelle) Jaime. They felt fortunate to put all six children through college with the eldest son graduating from St. Edward's University in Austin and the next five children graduating from Texas A&M University in College Station! They were doting and adoring grandparents to twenty-one grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A.C. Jaime was preceded in death by his father, Emanuel Jaime, mother, Virginia Casares and step-father, Hortencio Villarreal. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Reynaldo "Nene" Jaime and Raul "Rule" Villarreal of Premont, Texas. A.C. is survived by his sister, Beatrice Jaime Hull.
Dora was preceded in death by her parents, Geraldo Garcia and Augustina Coronado, and her brother Heriberto "Beto" Garcia of McAllen, Texas. She is survived by her brother Gerardo Garcia, Jr. of Houston, Texas.
The family wishes to thank the COVID ICU Staff at Rio Grande Regional Hospital and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance for their compassion and service. In lieu of flowers, remembrances and honorariums can be made in memory of "Coach" A.C. "Beto" and Dora Jaime, to the North American Racewalk Institute at www.usaracewalking.org/#donate. Dora was a longtime supporter of Saint Jude's Children's Hospital and would have loved if others supported them as well. Donations may be made "In Memory of Dora Jaime" to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Due to the current Covid restrictions, Funeral Mass and Interment will be private for immediate family only. Interment will take place August 6, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr.
Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.