Oscar Rene Maldonado

OSCAR RENE MALDONADO
Oscar Rene Maldonado, 47, beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, and doctor entered into the glory of his eternal life on Friday, February 27, 2009 at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville surrounded by his family and friends after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.
A native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, Dr. Maldonado had been a resident of Brownsville since November of 1998 when he started his medical practice in Gastroenterology. He graduated from Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala in 1984. He did his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Raphael's Hospital in Connecticut and his specialization in Gastroenterology at Yale University.
Dr. Maldonado's passions in life were spending time with his family, tending to his rose garden, playing golf, listening to music and eating. He enjoyed a good glass of wine and was a wine connoisseur. He loved to travel and was able to visit 41 countries. He also loved reading and especially found comfort in reading from his Bible daily.
He was a well rounded individual who excelled at everything he did. He was a tender and compassionate doctor and his patients whom he also considered his friends often called him an Angel. He will be dearly missed by all those fortunate to have known this exceptional man.
He was preceded in death by his father, Oscar Enrique Maldonado and by his father-in-law, Ovidio Cardenas.
Left behind to eternally treasure his memory are his wife of 24 years, Dr. Yasmin S. Maldonado; the three children that were his pride and joy, Yasmin Renee Maldonado, "his Princess", Oscar Maldonado Jr., and Rodrigo Rafael Maldonado; his mother, Marina Ordonez and his step-father, Ramon Ordonez; his brother, Sergio M. (Graciela) Maldonado; his sister, Alma Patricia Maldonado; his mother-in-law, Linda Cardenas; his sister-in-law, Odra (Luis) Arreola; his brother-in-law, Ariel Cardenas; numerous nieces and nephews; and his "compadres" Alberto & Malena Najera; and his goddaughter, Andrea Najera.
He will also be dearly missed by his close friends, Olga Barron & Robert Salinas, Dr. Karen Brooks, Luis & Muñeca Garza, Cristobal & Toni Hernandez, Julio Victor Guzman, Glen Arnold, Alejandro Erazo, Justin Villarreal, Laura, Grace, & John, Miguel & Suzy Molinas, Antonio & Elenita Figueroa, Javier Jover, Sister Mary and Jorge and Sylvia Dominguez.
The Mass of Christian Resurrection will be at 10:30 a.m. today, Monday, March 2, 2009. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1914 Barnard Rd., Brownsville, TX. There will not be a procession from the funeral home to the church; we ask that everyone go directly to the church for the Mass. All services will conclude after Mass and in accordance with Dr. Maldonado's wishes cremation will follow.
Oscar Maldonado Jr., Sergio M. Maldonado, Robert Salinas, Justin Villarreal, Ramón Ordóñez, and Luis Garza are honored to be serving as Oscar's pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Rodrigo Maldonado, Alfredo Barron, Dr. Miguel Molinas, and Dr. Javier Jover.
Dr. Maldonado's family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Sharma, Dr. Jover, Dr. Mazzola, Dr. Silva, Valley Regional Medical Center, and Dr. Maldonado's staff for the kind and compassionate care that was tendered to him during his illness.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Maldonado's family is requesting that memorial gifts in his name be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TX 38105-1905, 1-800-878-6983 and www.stjude.org/tribute.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Darling-Mouser Funeral Home in Brownsville.
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