Willie Alderete was a humble man with humble beginnings. He was born Luis Jimenez Alderete, in Hondo, on Jan. 6, 1936, to Concepcion and Florentina Alderete. Luis was also known by his nickname, "Willie". As the story goes, beginning at a very young age of three, he was sent, daily, next door to pick up milk from Willie Muennink, a local dairy farmer. When people asked where he was going, he replied "to Willie's". Somehow, by way of others in the neighborhood and his inability to assert himself at such a young age, Luis assumed the nickname, Willie. During his high school years with the Hondo Owls, Willie, was an accomplished athlete in baseball, basketball and football. Although very rare to letter in a sport as a freshman, Willie went on to letter four years in football. From 1951-1955, Willie played on the formidable Hondo Owls football team. Alongside his brother, Felix, the "Alderete brothers" proved to be a potent offensive scoring tandem. In those years, the team drove deep into the playoffs, making it into the Texas state quarter-finals. Ultimately, however, the team lost to Deer Park in both 1952 and 1954 at that level. During the years and throughout the rest of his life, playing for Big Blue was a truly a remarkable time with many fond memories for Willie, especially when he reminisced about those days of glory. After graduating from Hondo High School, in 1955 Willie enlisted with the US Army. Shortly thereafter, he would would work his way into Army Intelligence. Here, the experiences would allow him to discover, inspire and give him direction that would shape his future and career as an Electronics Engineer. Upon the completion of his military service and with only $100 in his pocket, Willie moved to Los Angeles, CA. It was while in Los Angeles that his education brought him into the emergence of a new technology, Electronics Engineering. Eventually, he gained employment with North American Aviation, which became Rockwell International and, today, is Boeing. His ability to master the concepts of advanced mathematics, trouble shoot and solve problems, led to the next phase of his career: working for the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration as a civil servant. The nature and complexity of his work were most challenging, yet rewarding. Coincidentally, he returned to Rockwell International/Boeing after his retirement from civil service. In 1961, six years after leaving Hondo, Willie would return home. That same year, he met and courted Elmira Gonzales, a local girl who would become his wife. They married on May 18, 1962. Eventually, their little family grew from two to five. William "Bill ", Lori Lynn and Kathryn Louise would come to be their children. Willie and Elmira were both proud parents who cared and were actively involved in the upbringing of their offspring. In addition to his children, his greatest joy and love were for his grandsons, Christopher and Branden Alderete-Arnold. Willie was preceded in death by his daughters, Lori Lynn Alderete and Kathryn Louise Alderete-Arnold; his brothers, Reyes Alderete and Felix Alderete. He is survived by his loving wife, Elmira, who worked tirelessly and selflessly to care for Willie on a daily basis. In his last hours, he was constantly looking to her. Her devotion to him and his reliance on her were a testament of their love for one another and to their 55 years of marriage. He is also survived by his son, Bill Alderete; his grandsons, Christopher and Branden Alderete-Arnold; brothers Joe (Sally) Alderete and Arturo Alderete; and sisters, Gloria Cavazos and Concepcion Perez. Funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug 9, at Guinn-Horger Chapel, followed by interment at 11:15 a.m., with military honors, at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, . We love and miss you very much! Your son, Bill