Obituary of Manuel Cavazos

MANUEL CAVAZOS JR. EDINBURG - A great honest family man departed from us on January 1st, 2016 in Edinburg, Texas. Manuel Cavazos, Jr. CPA was born in Edinburg, Texas on November 17th, 1935 to Manuel Navarro Cavazos and Jesusa Aguirre Cavazos. He attended Edinburg schools graduating in 1956. Manuel put himself through college working two jobs. He walked from his home in east Edinburg to the old college everyday to get his education. Mr. Cavazos really wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer but resources were limited at that time so he settled to become the best CPA that he could! Manuel is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Juanita, Elijio, Cayetano, Virgilio and Jose Maria. Left to honor his name is the love of his life Irma Longoria Cavazos who devoted her life by caring for him since his stroke on May 8th, 2006. They celebrated their 50th anniversary on August 14th, 2015. Their children: Melinda LaMar (Noe Garcia, Jr), Manuel III (Jamie McCutchen), Mark Cavazos (Donella Alvarado) and twins James Conrad and John David Cavazos. Grandchildren: Christian Noe Garcia, Alishia Micaela Garcia, Dominick Ryan, Matthew Aaron and Mark Jacob Cavazos, Laura Irma and Christopher Liam Cavazos. Step grandchildren Mya, Paul, Teo, and Marco Alvardo. His siblings Elida Cavazos Alvarado (Marin), Juanita Cavazos Garza, and Guadalupe Yolanda Cavazos Vega (Alonzo) and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 5pm to 9pm with a 7pm rosary, Sunday, January 3rd, 2016, at Legacy Chapels 4610 South Jackson Rd in Edinburg. Funeral services will be at 10am Monday, January 4th, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Edinburg. Interment will follow at San Mateo Cemetery in Encino. Pallbearers will be His sons, his son-in-law and his grandson Christian. Honorary pallbearers will Mark, Christopher, Paul, Teo, and Marco. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A tribute from his wife My heart was ripped out of my body the morning of Friday, January 1st, 2016, at 12:37 AM. My wonderful husband of 50 years passed on. All of our children, grandchildren, family , compadre Xavier Rios, our good friend and lawyer Alex Moreno were with us on a day that had special meaning to them and yet they were with us. That speaks volumes about our family and friends. My love stuck to his guns and greeted the New Year with us. What a man he was. He put himself through college by working two jobs. He had a job with a CPA firm but kept studying for his CPA exam. He did and he immediately made a homemade sign with his name and CPA. I still have that sign. His life was helping the people from the barrios where he came from. He was instrumental in passing the non- smoking ban in Edinburg in the nineties. He was instrumental in changing the Valley banks way of lending money by organizing The Metropolitan National Bank in McAllen, a Mexican American Bank, thus changing the system of lending money to Mexican Americans for buying their homes and vehicles which the other banks hadn't done before. This happened in 1973 when the bank opened its doors in the corner of 83rd and Jackson Rd. Even today so many years later the bank vault and the sign are still there. He then, as a favor to a great judge decided to help clean somethings that were wrong at the courthouse. He knew he wasn't going to stay there for very long so he kept his office open. Our son Mark was going to college so he helped at the office. He remained as a county auditor for four years doing a great job but he ruined his health. He ran for county commission but as I told him "you are too honest for politics" and I was glad he lost. According to Judge Evins he never met a man as honest as Manuel Cavazos, Jr. So true! We fell in love when he was 23 and I was 19. We married after I got my degree. I had told him that I wanted to give my parents half of my paycheck since they had sacrifice for my education! He was a great man who wanted his community to have what the rest of the town had. He was a man of integrity who believed in the golden rule. Last night one of my grandsons Matt told me " Grandma how do you follow a Legend like him"? Funeral services are under the direction of Legacy Chapels in Edinburg.