EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The family of Angel Gomez, the co-founder of Operation H.O.P.E. who died this past Thursday. Feb. 27, said they long anticipated this somber day would come, but that they were all prepared for the moment.
“My dad has taught me well. He has trained me well. That morning, 9 a.m., as soon as all the offices (opened up) and people got to work, we got into action. I made sure that we had everything we needed to get done in time before we released the information,” said Rubi Gomez, Angel Gomez’s daughter and co-founder of Operation H.O.P.E.
“He told me since I was a little girl, ‘The only guarantee you have in life is that you are going to die, so what are you going to do with that time?’ And he made sure he made the most of his time while he was here,” she said.
Gomez said her father died from his battle with congestive heart failure. He was 70 years old.
For about three decades, Angel Gomez and Operation H.O.P.E. heeded the call of people in need in the Borderland and beyond.
The organization was known for running food, school supplies, and holiday giveaways, for springing into action during difficult times like providing caskets to grieving families after the Uvalde shooting, or partnering with local hotels to make room for families impacted by the fires in Ruidoso.
But Rubi Gomez said that for all their monumental efforts, they have remained a small and humble operation, largely spearheaded in the living room of her family’s home.
“He was the brain of things. Sometimes he would jump ahead. And my mom, my dad, my husband and myself had to figure out how to execute all these amazing ideas that he had,” Rubi Gomez said. “Operation. H.O.P.E. was a team and he was my better half of the team. We always worked off of each other, so now it’s going to be hard not having my team member to help guide me through who to call and how to make it happen.”
Patsy Ojeda Gomez, the wife of Angel Gomez, recalled the moment that she and her husband decided to embark on their journey of philanthropy, despite not being a wealthy family.
“We had our own little business when we came to El Paso, back in 1995. And that’s where it started. We had enough to pay our rent. We had enough to buy our groceries. Now what? So that’s when we would buy groceries for a family member or for a neighbor,” Ojeda Gomez said. “Everything has to have a beginning, and it was a very humble beginning. But we’re just grateful to God that he (Gomez) gave us the vision and the ability to continue to serve our community.”
Jesus Hernandez, Angel Gomez’s son-in-law and Rubi Gomez’s husband, said that he and Gomez had a very close relationship and that he helped mold him into the man he is today.
“He (Gomez) taught me how to love, how to have a big heart, how to give back to the community and to people.” Hernandez said.
He specifically recalled when Gomez asked him and his friends to suit up in their superhero costumes and visit sick children at the local hospitals, which became a widely known tradition of Operation H.O.P.E.
“Once they (the children) saw their favorite hero come up into the room, that kid’s face lit up. They got out of bed and the parents started crying, saying, ‘They haven’t gotten out of bed or they haven’t moved or they haven’t smiled in a long time,’ and we’re just like, ‘You know this is a great idea.’ So then Mr. G (Gomez) told me, ‘Let’s keep going. Let’s keep going,’” Hernandez said
Services for Gomez will be held on Saturday, March 8, at the Rock Faith Center, 11201 Armour Dr.
The services will begin with visitation from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., followed immediately by a celebration of life.
Gomez’s family encourages people who will attend the services that instead of bringing flowers, they donate to Operation H.O.P.E. to fuel and support Gomez’s “passion and legacy.”
You can donate by visiting their website, or by scanning the QR code in the image below.
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