Captain Naaman Flores

Captain Naaman Flores, 82, of Port Isabel, TX passed away on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at his residence.
Captain Naaman Flores was born on June 10, 1942, on the Mosquito Coast, also known as "La Moskitia", along the eastern coast of Honduras and Nicaragua. Naaman comes from the Miskito People, an Indigenous group who call La Mosquito their home. He came to the island of Guanaja by way of adoption. Leeta Wheeler, who was the island's practitioner and mid-wife, asked her husband Hanklin to, "Find her an errand boy". Upon his return, Miss Leeta stepped out on her porch, and to her astonishment, Hanklin had brought her a little dark-skinned, dark-haired 5-year-old boy. Despite not being the errand boy she had anticipated, she immediately fell in love with him and raised him as her son, Naaman Morales Flores.
He met the love of his life, Faye Orline McCoy Tatum, and they were married in 1965. Later that year, he was sent to Brownsville, Texas to work in the shrimping industry. He would later move Faye and his two sons, Casey and Shon, from Guanaja, Honduras to Port Isabel, Texas to begin a new life in the U.S. He and Faye had two more sons, Chad and Timothy.
Naaman is remembered as a generous and caring man, who at times literally gave perfect strangers his last dollar. He made friends no matter where he was or what situation he found himself in. He was a phenomenal guitarist who emulated the style of his "guitar hero" Chet Atkins. When he was not on the shrimp grounds, you could find him camping out on the family couch in his favorite pajamas, picking his beloved Fender guitar, while Miss Faye cooked his favorite foods in her kitchen.
Naaman was a man of few words. He loved his family with all his heart, and this was communicated through his work ethic, faith, and his moral and ethical convictions which have left a tremendous mark not only on his sons, but also his grand and great-grandchildren.
His favorite piece of advice still holds true to this day as it has been proven true time and time again. It speaks to the humble, gentle, respectful life he lived and the legacy he left in the lives of his boys. He often said that money is not everything in life. Mr. Naaman would say, "Son, a mouthful of respect will take you farther in this world than a bank full of money."
He is preceded in death by parents, Leeta Wheeler and Hanklin Wheeler.
He is survived by his Wife of 58 years, Fay Orline Tatum Flores; Children, Casey (Katie) Flores, Shon (Michelle) Flores, Chad (Cristina) Flores, Timothy (Adriana)Flores; Grandchildren, Read (Valerie) Flores, Tatum (Beni) Flores, Kirsten (Derrick) Level, Justin (Elda) Flores, Mary (Cooper) McKibbin, Casey (David) Flores, Courtney (Miles)Hogan, Brianna Flores, Isabel Flores and 23 Great-Grandchildren.
Visitation will be on Monday, June 9, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Prayer Service at Thomae-Garza Funeral Home in San Benito, TX.
A Chapel Service will be held on Tuesday, June 10. 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Thomae-Garza Funeral Home with interment to follow at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens, Brownsville, TX 78526.
You may sign the online guestbook, light a remembrance candle, or send words of comfort to the family of Captain Naaman Flores at www.thomaegarza.com.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care of Thomae-Garza Funeral Home and Crematorium, 395 S. Sam Houston, San Benito, Texas, (956) 399-1331.