Former Abilene Christian University trustee Steve Garcia Carrizal (’66) of Round Rock, Texas, died Sept. 22, 2024, at age 82.

He was born Nov. 20, 1941, in Houston, Texas. Carrizal devoted himself for more than four decades as a congregational minister to churches in four Texas cities.

He met ACU classmate Vera Jeanne Petty (’63) in December 1962. During their courtship, he became one of the first students at Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, Texas. The couple wed Aug. 14, 1965, as they began his ministry career, serving the first two years in Littlefield, followed by five years in Houston, then Corpus Christi before their final move in 1985 to Round Rock to start a new Spanish-speaking ministry in partnership with Round Rock Church of Christ.

He made 16 short-term mission trips to Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, New Zealand and Croatia, often with Vera Jeanne.

 Carrizal finished his B.S. degree in Christian ministry at ACU in 1991, and served five years (1993-98) on his alma mater’s Board of Trustees.

In retirement he was a hospital chaplain in Round Rock and Austin, a substitute teacher in the Round Rock ISD, and ministered with Vera Jeanne to two senior living communities before she died in 2020.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Esteban Carrizal and Mercedes Carrizal; his wife, Vera Jeanne; a grandson, Thomas Wiginton; and a sister, Rosario. Among survivors are a son, Steven Carrizal (’89); a daughter, Janice (Carrizal ’91) Wiginton; six grandchildren; a brother, Manuel Carrizal; and a sister, Sandy (Carrizal ’69) Jennings.

— Ron Hadfield
Oct. 14, 2024