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OUR CARING STAFF

OUR CARING STAFF

From our family to yours.

 Our team, dedicated to helping you honor your loved one, with years of experience caring for families from all walks of life. We are available 24/7, via email, phone or text. Our team is patient, compassionate, professional and always available.

 Mr. Mark B. McCaleb
Mr. Mark B. McCaleb
General Manager, Owner
Mr. Mark B. McCaleb
General Manager, Owner

Mark was born and raised in Weslaco, TX, where he grew up with three brothers, Charles, who passed away in 1998, Harold and George. Mark graduated high school from Marine Military Academy and attended mortuary school in Houston, where he earned his embalming and funeral directors license from the College of Commonwealth in Houston.


Mark’s grandfather, Fred Sr., purchased the funeral home from Weldon Martin in 1963. His father, Fred Jr., ran the funeral home for many years and later sold it to Mark.


In the meantime, Mark started Sacred Park Cemetery and Crematory and is now involved in managing Sacred Park Cemetery & Crematory and McCaleb Funeral Home.


Mark is very involved in our community. He helped organize the Weslaco Onion Festival for many years and ran the Weslaco Lion’s club’s annual Musical. Mark served on the finance and grounds committees for the First United Methodist Church for over 12 years. Mark was the Chairman for Weslaco 100 event celebrating our rich history. He serves on the Board of Appeals and Ordinances and is the Vice President of the Emergency Services board for the city of Weslaco. Mark is the Chairman of the Aurora House, a local non-profit organization that offers compassionate end-of-life care at no cost. He was recently named to serve on the Texas Funeral Service Commission.


When Mark can get away, he loves spending time at the deer lease, driving around, and enjoying God’s creation. Mark and Carla have three boys, Bradley, Riley, and Patrick. Mark is an avid sports fan and spends lots of time watching sports with his boys. Mark is passionate about celebrating life and small but essential details. He is a man of integrity and will always go the extra mile to ensure your family is cared for with the utmost respect and care.

Mrs. Carla McCaleb
Mrs. Carla McCaleb
Owner
Mrs. Carla McCaleb
Owner

Carla was born in Weslaco, TX and raised in Donna, where she grew up with three brothers, Alan, John, and Daryl, and one sister, Kara. She graduated high school in Donna and earned a BA in Marketing at Pan American University. When she and her husband, Mark purchased the funeral home, she earned her funeral director’s license from the College of Commonwealth in Houston.


Carla serves on the board of the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce, has been a Chamber Ambassador for many years and is a member of the Weslaco Literary Review Club. She attended Leadership Mid Valley in 2008 and has completed numerous marathons and half marathons, including Boston, New York, and Washington DC, to name a few.


Carla saw a need for grief support and has held a local grief support group on the first Thursday of each month since 2016. She is passionate about helping families during their time of need and beyond and is open to ideas of how to improve the support group.

 Mr George Sanchez
Mr George Sanchez
Funeral Director
Mr George Sanchez
Funeral Director

George was born in Stanton, Texas and now lives in Mercedes with his beautiful wife Jennifer. They have two grown children, a son, Alex and daughter, Miranda and both enjoy serving the community. When Jennifer is not working at First Community Bank in her hometown of Harlingen, you will likely find her helping George on nights and weekends.


George became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in 1989 and has been serving families since. He loves his job, is professional, caring, and compassionate. George is an excellent communicator and will answer any questions you might have, any time of the day or night.

Mr. Horace Caldwell
Mr. Horace Caldwell
Greeter/Customer Experience
Mr. Horace Caldwell
Greeter/Customer Experience

Horace has been living in Donna, Texas for the past 50 years. He is married to Flo Caldwell and they have one daughter, Lisa, and two grandchildren.


Horace retired from the banking business, where he had served as President of Citizen’s State Bank for many years. Since he loves people, he decided to become a greeter at the funeral home, over 20 years ago. Many will remember his caring personality as you enter the doors. He is a hard worker and loves to stay busy. Horace will never tire of listening to your stories and honoring your loved ones.

Ms. Linda Ortiz
Ms. Linda Ortiz
Preneed Counselor
Ms. Linda Ortiz
Preneed Counselor


Linda was born and raised in Weslaco to Parents Victor Manuel and Guadalupe Ortiz. She grew up in Weslaco, along with her seven sisters and two brothers, Celia O. Meza, Ludivina O. Almaguer, Cynthia Ortiz, Victor Ortiz Jr, Santiago “Jimmy” Ortiz, Santos Ortiz, Sylvia O. Potter, Monica O. Flores, and Veronica O. Villarreal. She is part of a tight-knit family with deep roots in the community.



Linda graduated from Weslaco High and attended The University of Texas-Pan American majoring in Social Work. 



Linda has always loved serving her community. She spent many years working at the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce, where she helped local businesses network while gaining experience in sales and marketing. Linda always knew that she wanted to help people, so she could use her education in social work to gain employment in a Government Program aiming to help less fortunate families.



Linda joined our team in 2015 and found out how much she enjoyed helping others before, during, and after losing a loved one. Having lost both of her parents, she realized the value, not only financial but emotional, gift that her parents left the family in pre-arranging their service. 



Linda is very knowledgeable about pre-planning, funeral arrangements, and cemetery arrangements. She has recently enrolled in the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services to pursue her Funeral Director’s license and gain knowledge. Linda is driven and compassionate. 



Linda has two beautiful daughters, Savannah Lynn Salinas and Seliah Sosa, and an adorable grandson, Calvin Blandford. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. 



Linda will help your family with funeral and cemetery arrangements and become a trusted friend along the way. She will answer your calls day or night and is fluent in English and Spanish. 

Ms. Vicky Ortiz
Ms. Vicky Ortiz
Office Manager
Ms. Vicky Ortiz
Office Manager

Vicky’s pleasant phone greeting is the first assurance to families that McCaleb Funeral Home is here to help, however, and whenever you need it. She is an excellent communicator, very organized, and can handle any task. In addition, she is accurate, knowledgeable, and reassuring, a combination of skills not easy to find in one person.


Her passion is serving families; she views her job as a position of care and compassion. Vicky is a great listener and assists with running our weekly grief group. When Vicky runs the group, she enjoys creating a unique craft that is always a crowd pleaser.


Vicky was born and raised in Weslaco, where she graduated from Weslaco High School and attended South Texas College. In her free moments, Vicky spends time with her tight-knit family of three older brothers, two older sisters, and her son, Andy.


She is the primary consultant in the creative development of informational pamphlets, funeral screen information, event and funeral programs, tribute videos, etc.


Vicky has been serving our families since 2014 as an asset to our team. You will see mention of her name in numerous reviews, and families appreciate Vicky’s creativity and passion for celebrating lives and helping others.

Mrs Bernie McCaleb
Mrs Bernie McCaleb
Aftercare Consultant
Mrs Bernie McCaleb
Aftercare Consultant

Bernie McCaleb was married to the late Fred McCaleb for over 50 years. She is the mother of Mark McCaleb. She has two sons, George and Harold, and seven grandchildren.


Having experienced great loss herself, Bernie is passionate about helping our families make it thru the seemingly impossible journey of grief. Bernie lost her firstborn son, Charles, in 1998 and her husband, Fred, in 2015. Throughout her grieving, Bernie always kept her faith.


Bernie assists in our monthly grief support groups and is a real asset to our team. She listens with great empathy and is kind and understanding. Bernie is very involved in her church, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, and will pray for anyone who is in need.


Come join our grief support and let her give you some care and comfort.

Mr. Ricardo Olmedo
Mr. Ricardo Olmedo
Crematory Operator, Asst. Manager
Mr. Ricardo Olmedo
Crematory Operator, Asst. Manager

Ricardo was born in Weslaco and raised in Donna with his parents, Benito and Tella, and his two sisters.


Ricardo has been serving our families for over six years and is very caring and compassionate. He takes great pride in his job and is one of the most respectful gentlemen you will ever meet.


Ricardo helps in various aspects of the business, but the cleanliness of the facilities and timeliness of set up at the church and cemetery are due to his organization and strong work ethic. No matter how busy things are, Ricardo keeps things running smooth and neat.


When you notice Ricardo missing, he is serving his country in the U.S. Marine Reserves.


Locations: Sacred Park Cemetery (Mercedes) & McCaleb Funeral Home (Weslaco)

Ms. Josie Montes
Ms. Josie Montes
Customer Service, Sacred Park Cemetery
Ms. Josie Montes
Customer Service, Sacred Park Cemetery

Josie Montes was born and raised in Weslaco to Isidro and Maria Cruz Nieto. Josie grew up with ten siblings who have remained close throughout their lives. Unfortunately, her brother, Ruben Nieto, passed away in 2020. Josie’s siblings, Janie Nieto, Isidro Nieto (Melissa), Susie Davila, Jose Nieto, Roman Nieto (Hortencia), Roy Nieto, Cathy Nieto, Richard Nieto (Rosie), and Lisa Nieto, are all very involved with our local community. Many serve on boards, educate our youth, or attend to healthcare needs. The Nieto’s have been an integral part of Weslaco’s history.


Josie has worked in many industries, from running her own business, to administrative assistant at Security Depot and Woodcrafters. As luck would have it, Josie wanted to come out of retirement for a second time and has been helping families at Sacred Park Cemetery ever since.


Josie is the proud mother of three successful children, Melissa Anne Montes, Abel Montes Jr., and his wife, Sandra, and Joseph Andrew Montes. When Josie isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her siblings or her grandchildren, Victoria, Amaya, Leilah, Gianna, Keevyn, Yucary, Jaecob, and Mateo. She also has great-grandchildren, Revan, Rowan Josephine, Adelin, and Gianni.


Josie is kind, caring, and compassionate. She always greets you with a smile and a pleasant conversation. Josie is fluent in English and Spanish and always ready to help.

Mr. Pat Moses
Mr. Pat Moses
Crematory Manager
Mr. Pat Moses
Crematory Manager

Pat moved to Alamo in 2002 when he fell in love with his beautiful wife, Debra. We are blessed that this internet marriage was a success because he has been a great friend and asset.


Pat has been operating Sacred Park Crematory for the past ten years. He has a deep respect and compassion for the deceased. Your loved one will be in excellent care when they arrive at Sacred Park Crematory. Pat will arrange for a private viewing and a professional and timely return of your loved ones remains.

 Mr. Saul Martinez
Mr. Saul Martinez
Groundskeeper, Sacred Park Cemetery
Mr. Saul Martinez
Groundskeeper, Sacred Park Cemetery

Saul is a proud husband to his beautiful wife, Maria Teresa and has three children.


Saul works tirelessly to make sure Sacred Park Cemetery is well maintained. He is caring and compassionate and has been an asset to our families.


Saul has been caring for Sacred Park since 2015. He has a green thumb and he is a very hard worker.


When Saul is not at Sacred Park, he enjoys singing and playing instruments. He is also a mechanic and can fix just about anything.

Mr. John Summers
Mr. John Summers
Preneed Counselor
Mr. John Summers
Preneed Counselor

John Summers III, son of John Jr. and Marcela Tochihutitl Summers, grew up in Weslaco with his two older sisters, Clara Ivy Ella and Rosa Gabriela Summers. John spent summers in Minnesota as a migrant worker. John’s family also worked in the Circus for many years and traveled all over the country.


He graduated from Weslaco Highschool in 2019, where he was active in Tennis, Future Farmers of America, Sports Medicine Training Team, and numerous clubs. In addition, John earned his pawnbroker license and sales certificate from A.E.P. He and his high school sweetheart, Lilly, have one son, Jonathan Vincent Summers.


John joined our team in 2020 and quickly became a valuable asset to our funeral home and cemetery. He is often the first person to greet you when you walk into the funeral home, and he is always happy to help.


John also embraced his profession and quickly realized that community service was a way to meet new people and give back to the community. He is an Ambassador for the Weslaco Chamber, a member of the Nights of Columbus, the Weslaco Lion’s Club, and the Weslaco Rotary Club.


John is fluent in English and Spanish and always available to answer your questions.

Mr. Juan Elizondo
Mr. Juan Elizondo
Cemetery Groundskeeper
Mr. Juan Elizondo
Cemetery Groundskeeper

Juan Elizondo joined our team in 2022, finally. We had been trying to recruit Juan for many years. Juan grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, living in League City, Mission, and Harlingen. His parents are Jacinto and Maria del Carmen Elizondo. He has a brother, Jacinto Elizondo Jr., and a sister, Maria del Carmen Elizondo.


Juan went to work for Wilbert Concrete in 1989, setting up cemetery services and taking care of countless families. Most people in the community have seen Juan at a cemetery, a dedicated and hard worker, but always with a sincere smile.


On December 24, 2021, Juan lost his oldest son, Leeroy, to Covid. As anyone who has experienced a child's loss can relate, Juan was ready for a change and joined our team in March.


When Juan is not working, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing, and an occasional trip to a casino. Juan and his wife, Idolina, live in Weslaco and Juan has a son, Jonathan Michael Elizondo.


Juan is caring and empathetic, and his work ethic is unmatched. He maintains Sacred Park Cemetery grounds with genuine compassion and makes the cemetery more beautiful daily.

Ms. Lisa Thurman
Ms. Lisa Thurman
Customer Relationship Manager
Ms. Lisa Thurman
Customer Relationship Manager

Lisa Thurman joined our team in 2021. She was born in Liberal, Kansas to Leonard Parrott and Joan Holtzman Lewis, lived in Corpus Christi, Lafayette, Louisiana, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and finally ended up in the Rio Grande Valley. Lisa has an older brother, Bruce Parrott, in North Carolina, a son, Chad (Reanna) Thurman, a grand dog, and two grand cats who still live in Oklahoma City.


Lisa spent most of her career working as a paralegal. Lisa retired at age fifty-five after working for an oil company for over thirty-five years in the legal department. Lisa's dad was a Winter Texan in the Rio Grande Valley, so in 2012, Lisa decided to join him.


She lives at Victoria Palms in Donna with her best friend, Mark Gibson. Lisa has embraced the Rio Grande Valley and serves her community often. She is an active member of the Weslaco Elks Lodge, serving as an officer and member of numerous committees. Lisa enjoys drinking champagne with her friends and especially spending time with Mark.


Interacting with Lisa is always a pleasure. She is kind, compassionate, and loves helping our families. Lisa will never let you down. If she says she will call you back, she will. If Lisa doesn't know the answer, she will find it for you. We are blessed to have Lisa on our team. Her spirit and lighthearted attitude have become a vital asset to our team.

Ms. Elsa Charles
Ms. Elsa Charles
Greeter/Customer Experience
Ms. Elsa Charles
Greeter/Customer Experience

Elsa Charles is a Weslaco native and Panther enthusiast. She was born to Carmen and Manuel Rodriguez and has two sisters, Esmeralda Martinez and Elia Rodriguez, and two brothers, Eloy Rodriguez, and Eli Rodriguez. In addition, Elsa is the proudest mom of her son and daughter-in-law, Roy and Janelle Charles.


Elsa works full-time for Weslaco Independent School District. She has served our community for thirty-eight years. We can’t wait for Elsa to retire.


Elsa is a sports fanatic. She loves all sports, the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, and San Antonio Spurs, but, by far, her favorite team is her alma mater, the Weslaco Panthers. Unfortunately, Elsa is rarely around on most Friday nights during football season. But she is the epitome of Panther Pride and doesn’t miss a game.


Elsa’s other hobbies are sewing, baking, and organizing.


Elsa loves helping families. She is courteous and respectful. Elsa will greet you with a smile and ensure the funeral home is spick and span. She loves a clean space. Elsa is compassionate, dedicated, and has a heart of gold.

Ms. Noelia Perez
Ms. Noelia Perez
Office Coordinator
Ms. Noelia Perez
Office Coordinator

Noelia Perez is a Weslaco native, born to Noe Sr. and Maria G. Villarreal in Weslaco, where she spent her entire life. Noelia is the oldest of five children. She has three sisters, Amanda Munoz (Humberto), Cecilia Beltran (Virgilio Jr.), and Virginia Villarreal, and one brother, Noe Villarreal Jr. Noelia is married to her high school sweetheart, Ruben Perez. They have three beautiful children, Zuhey Nicole Dillard (Jody), Ruben Perez Jr. (Robin Roman), and Ruby Noelle Perez, and grandchildren, Julian Lazarus Perez, Lola Genevieve Peres, Jesse “Jax” Salazar, and Nova Perez.


Noelia worked as an administrative assistant for Knapp Medical Center for nearly twenty years. She is passionate about helping others and wanted to continue her education, so Noelia went to nursing school in her mid-40s. She earned a BSN from Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. Noelia is a Registered Nurse but loves helping families and can see the value in celebrating life.


Noelia’s an athlete. She taught aerobics for over twenty years and is a runner, biker, and race walking coach. Several times, she rode her bicycle to San Antonio to raise money for Spina Bifida, 250 miles. In addition, Noelia spent many years working for South Texas Walking Club, AKA The Fighting Turtles. Noelia was responsible for tabulating results for over 500 walkers, back when there were no chips or computers.


Noelia is an avid Nascar and Houston Astros fan. If there is a race or day game, there is always an extra computer close by to update the scores.


Noelia is compassionate and determined to finish any project she starts. She also keeps us organized and clean.

Mr. Ralph Torres
Mr. Ralph Torres
Licensed Funeral Director, Embalmer, and Pre-Need Agent
Mr. Ralph Torres
Licensed Funeral Director, Embalmer, and Pre-Need Agent

Ralph was born in Harlingen to Sal and Socorro Torres. Ralph grew up with five siblings in a family that embraced and instilled Catholic values. He graduated high school from St.Joseph’s Academy in Brownsville. Ralph was passionate about helping people and thought pursuing a career in funeral service would be a perfect opportunity. He earned his Funeral Service and Embalmer License from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1990. Ralph moved back to the valley and continued his education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1995.


Ralph made Weslaco his home in 1996 and is a self-employed accountant, funeral director, embalmer, and pre-need counselor. He has been helping families in the mid-valley for many years. Ralph joined our team in 2020 and is passionate about celebrating lives and helping families.


When Ralph is not directing funerals, he works as an accountant for D&J Site Construction, LLC. Ralph is also an avid sports fan and spends many weekends organizing basketball tournaments for our youth. He also coaches Team Elite, a youth basketball team. Ralph is grounded in his faith and the proud father of two Texas A&M graduates, Miranda and Ralph Torres. He loves to catch an Aggie game with his kids when he can get away.


Ralph is an asset to our team and is fluent in English and Spanish. He will guide and direct you with true professionalism and provide comfort at the same time.

Mr. Robert J Grado
Mr. Robert J Grado
Social Media Coordinator
Mr. Robert J Grado
Social Media Coordinator


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