July 24, 1929 - November 27, 2016George Leonard Navarro was welcomed into eternal rest on November 27, 2016 at the age of 87. He was born on July 24, 1929 in Zapata, Texas. He was the youngest of six children of Judge Antonio Victor Navarro and Elizabeth Dawson Navarro, all of whom predeceased him. George was a fourth generation direct descendant of Jose Antonio Navarro, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 61 years, Maria Josefina Lozano Navarro of Laredo, Texas and numerous nieces and nephews. He was a devout Roman Catholic.George attended Laredo Martin High School. He left Laredo to serve his country in the U.S. Navy as a "frog man", now known as the Navy Seals. He served in Okinawa, Japan and in Korea. Afterwards, he resumed his education at an East Texas university where his engineering drawings caught the eye of North American Aviation scouts who immediately offered him a position in Los Angeles. He was to report to his new job in only three days, leaving him and Maria only two days to plan their wedding. He married his sweetheart Maria on October 23, 1955 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Laredo.First working on commercial aircraft at North American, George was soon promoted to working with NASA on the Apollo 11 mission which landed the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969.In the mid 1970's, George decided to further his education and pursue a career change. He and Maria moved to Sacramento where they resided for many years. George graduated from California State University with a Master's Degree. He worked as a counselor at Sacramento High School and Sacramento Junior College where he became a mentor to many students.While in Sacramento, George & Maria were involved in numerous civic, political, and religious organizations. George was also appointed by Sacramento Mayor Serna to oversee the construction of the statue of beloved Bishop Alfonso Gallegos.George & Maria retired to San Antonio in 2001 where they enjoyed reconnecting with family and friends. George had a razor sharp wit, a kind and generous heart and was devoted to his family. To all his nieces and nephews and their children, he was their favorite uncle - sometimes known as "Uncle Daddy". We were blessed to have him in our lives. He was deeply loved and will be missed by many. As stated by his nephew Rene Steinhauer: "The world did not lose a man today. The world lost love."Visitation: Wednesday, November 30 from 5:00-9:00pm, with a Rosary at 7:00pm at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Road, San Antonio, Texas.A funeral mass will be held at 11:00am on Thursday, December 1, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Laredo, Texas with a procession to burial at Laredo Calvary Catholic Cemetery.