When Christopher D. Loza met the woman who would become his wife, he found himself, family friend Dianne Morphew said.

“Once he met Kristena, he sort of became the person that his mom had reared him to be,” she said. Loza’s mother worked long hours to earn money to care for him and his sister.

Wanting to provide for his family, and willing to work just as hard, Loza joined the National Guard.

“He wanted to support them, and the National Guard income supported that,” Morphew said. “When he got called up, he didn’t say one word.”

Loza, 24, of Abilene, Texas, died April 10 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of a noncombat-related illness after becoming ill March 17 in Radwaniyah, Iraq. He was assigned to Waco, Texas.

He was a fan of the Abilene High Eagles, the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys. His personality was what impressed Ramon Castillo, a longtime friend.

“He always cared about everyone,” he said. “And he didn’t die for nothing. He believed in what he was fighting for, and I respect him for that.”

He also is survived by his 3-year-old daughter, Iliana.