Obituary for Antonio “Tony” Aguirre Sr. McAllen – Antonio “Tony” Aguirre, Sr., was born January 16, 1933, in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico. He passed away July 3, 2018, in Edinburg. The Aguirre family, which included Tony and 11 siblings, was one of the community’s most humble families.
Lorenzo Aguirre, Tony’s father, passed away when Tony was only four years old. Tony also lost eight of his siblings at a very young age. Tony moved with his mother, Maria de la Luz, and his three surviving siblings to Ciudad Juarez and then to Monterrey, NL.
In 1953, Tony immigrated to the United States and lived in San Diego, Texas, for one year. He then moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where his dad’s brother lived. Tony painted trucks at White Manufacturing Company in Lincoln.
In the evenings, he worked as a janitor at Elgin Watch Company. Tony felt a longing to move closer to home. That feeling, combined with the thoughts of another harsh winter, convinced the now-21-year-old to head south one year later.
He settled in Alice, Texas. Tony got a job with the Martinez family in their paint and body shop. He slept in the shop at night.
It didn’t take long for the Martinez family to take Tony in as if he were their own son. (Their daughter, Thelma, remains dear friends with the Aguirre family today. ) July 10, 1955, Tony returned to Monterrey to marry his girlfriend, Miria Menchaca.
They returned to Alice and he got a job at Bowman Chevrolet, where he worked until 1964 when they moved to McAllen with their sons, Tony and Willie. Their two younger sons, Cesar and Arnoldo, were born in McAllen. Tony often said how fortunate they were to have made the decision to stay in McAllen because it is such a beautiful city.
Tony worked at Clark Chevrolet until 1975 when he established Tony’s Body and Paint Shop on Maple, just off 23rd Street. He worked there until the age of 75. In addition to working every day at his shop, Tony built apartments and houses and bought rental properties.
He accomplished all of this despite attending school only through the fourth grade. When the Aguirre family first arrived in McAllen, they attended St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church. In 1973, when Tony built his own home on Redwood Street, they became parishioners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Over the years, Tony and Miria regularly enjoyed attending Sunday mass at the Basilica in San Juan. Tony attended Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen the last few years. Most people knew Tony as a soft-spoken, compassionate, humble, and hardworking man.
As a teenager, he learned to play the baritone, alto, and soprano saxophones, along with the clarinet. He was in several orchestras, playing American jazz, big band, and swing music. Tony held on to his love for music, singing, and dancing.
Late in life, he truly enjoyed painting and art. Tony was also known as a jokester and a masterful storyteller who told stories so those listening could learn from them. Tony wanted his four sons to learn the importance of hard work from him but would often tell them, “Don’t be like me.
The only thing I know how to do is work”. Tony wanted his sons to live a more balanced life. He dearly loved his four sons and their families, often telling people, “Yo tengo cuatro hijos y los quiero todos iguales”.
(I have four sons, and I love them all equally. ) Throughout his life, Tony believed in shaking hands and saying, “Thank you”. If Tony were writing this, he would thank everyone who helped him throughout his life.
He would offer special thanks to Raul Cabrera, who worked at Tony’s Body and Paint Shop for over 20 years and who remained a dear and trusted friend. He would also thank his caregiver for the past five years, Javier Francisco Rodriguez, who he considered his adopted son. He spent the last six years of his life at The Bridges Assisted Living Home in Edinburg.
He would thank everyone at The Bridges because he loved everything about his time there. He was surrounded by employees and fellow residents who loved him. Tony is survived by his wife, Miria and their four sons, Antonio “Tony” Aguirre, Jr. (Linda) and their children, Nicole (Louie) Aguirre-Saenz, Karen, and Aaron; Guillermo “Willie” Aguirre (Amy) and their children, William and Leslie; Cesar Aguirre (Rosie) and their children, Nomar, Alex, and Derek ; and Arnoldo “Ernie” Aguirre (Anne).
He is also survived by one brother, Carlos (Maria de la Luz) Aguirre. Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen on Thursday, July 5, 2018 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with a rosary at 7:00 pm. Rivera Funeral Home in McAllen will open at 8:00 am on Friday for final visitation.
A memorial mass will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 10:00 am followed by a public burial at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Humanitarian Respite Center c/o Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd. , San Juan, TX, 78589 (Please specify that your donation is for the Humanitarian Center) or via the web at catholiccharitiesrgv.org/Donations.
aspx. “The world tells us to seek success, power, and money. God tells us to seek humility, service, and love”.
~Pope Francis To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Antonio “Tony” Aguirre Sr. please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Visitation 2018 JUL 5. 04:00 PM – 09:00 PM Our Lady of Sorrows 1108 Hackberry Avenue McAllen, TX, US, 78501 Order Flowers for the Visitation Guaranteed delivery before Antonio’s Visitation begins.
Holy Rosary 2018 JUL 5. 07:00 PM – 08:00 PM Our Lady of Sorrows 1108 Hackberry Avenue McAllen, TX, US, 78501 Order Flowers for the Holy Rosary Guaranteed delivery before Antonio’s Holy Rosary begins. Visitation 2018 Google, INEGI Terms of Use JUL 6.
08:00 AM – 09:30 AM Rivera Funeral Home 1901 Pecan McAllen, TX, US, 78501 info@riverafuneralhome.com Order Flowers for the Visitation Guaranteed delivery before Antonio’s Visitation begins. Celebration of Life 2018 JUL 6. 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Holy Spirit Catholic Church 2201 Martin Ave McAllen, TX, US, 78504-3898 Order Flowers for the Celebration of Life Guaranteed delivery before Antonio’s Celebration of Life begins.
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