Gustavo Ortiz

Gustavo “Gus” A. Ortiz was born 3/20/30 in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, the son of Alphonso Ortiz Esquivel and Concepcion Ortiz Barcena. Because of his father’s employment with silver mine Real del Monte, Gustavo had the opportunity to attend a British school for his primary education and learned English at an early age. He subsequently attended an American high school in Mexico City travelling home each weekend 60 miles to Pachuca. Gustavo came to the United States in 1949 to attend the University of Missouri where he earned a Masters degree in Geology. He married June Rose Howell in 1956. They had a daughter in 1960, Beverly Dawn, born shortly after Gustavo became a naturalized citizen of this country. Gustavo worked for Conoco for thirty years as a petroleum geologist, living in Lake Charles, Terrytown, Lafayette, Louisiana, Katy, Texas and Ponca City, Oklahoma. After he retired, he and June lived happily in Terrytown for 25 years until she passed away in 2014. Gustavo joined her in heaven on 1/16/22 at the age of 91, leaving behind his daughter, Beverly Ortiz McSweeney, her spouse, Patrick Martin McSweeney, and his 93 year old brother, Alfonso Ortiz, who resides in Houston, Texas. He joins his parents and his younger brother, Rolando Ortiz, in heaven.
Gustavo loved his family and was very thoughtful and generous to them throughout his life. He overcame many obstacles coming to the United States on his own and worked many odd jobs to fund his college education. He travelled back to Pachuca often to visit family, and he and June helped care for his Mother, Concha, at the end of her life. He was very dedicated to his profession and made life long friends working for Conoco where he spent his career travelling by helicopter offshore to various oil rigs out of Cameron to monitor drilling progress and analyze core samples. In his later years, he often travelled with his daughter and son-in-law, enjoying trips to Alaska, the Caribbean, the Grand Canyon, the Mexican Riviera, and Disney World. Gus loved to laugh and had a witty sense of humor. He loved the Saints, he loved his pets and his country. He loved to watch old movies and he read just about anything he could get his hands on, but only after he read his Times Picayune. Gus also loved listening to talk radio and Frank Sinatra. He was an avid investor and closely monitored the stock market. He and June also loved to collect and grow roses. Above all, Gus loved his wife, June, her delicious cooking, and the wonderful 58 years they spent together.
A funeral mass will be held to celebrate Gustavo’s life on Saturday, 4/9/22 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Dominic Church, 775 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Friends and family may gather after mass at the McSweeney residence located at 6053 Milne Blvd., New Orleans, just a few blocks away from church.

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