Antonio Villarreal

In loving memory of Antonio Villarreal, fondly known as Tony or Mr. V, who passed away on January 30, 2019. Tony was born on January 17, 1927 to Concepcion and Jacobo Villarreal of Runge, Texas and baptized November 5, 1927 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Runge. The son of a farmer and a homemaker, Tony grew up learning how to work the fields and attending school. He joined the United States Army in 1945 and dutifully served his country first as a mechanic and eventually as an MP for the 50th Field Hospital in France during World War II. When PFC Villarreal returned home, he went back to working as a clerk in a general store in McAllen, Texas with the young woman who had been given his clerk position while he was in the Army who was now his manager. Over time, he eventually built up the courage to ask her to a movie and eventually to share his life. Tony married Maria Guadalupe Garcia on April 14, 1950. Their first child, Juan Antonio “Tony”, was born in 1953. Joel Efrain “Joey” was welcomed into the family in 1957 and then Christina Regina “Chris” completed their family in 1966. After their marriage, Tony took a clerk position with Hayes-Sammons Warehouse, a warehouse and hardware store in Mission, Texas. Later, by virtue of his honesty, leadership, and attention to detail, he was offered the bookkeeping position with Hayes-Sammons. Eventually, Mr. Claborne Brazzeal, the owner of Hayes-Sammons closed the hardware store and opened an agricultural chemical company called Hayes-Sammons Chemical Company and eventually the name was changed to Tex-Ag. Mr. Brazzeal brought Tony along to be the company's accountant and auditor and eventually the Chief Financial Officer until Tex-Ag was closed and the business wound down. Tony is preceded in death by his parents, and his granddaughter Monica Marie Villarreal. Tony is survived by his wife, Lupita, and his children, Tony (Yolanda), Joey, and Chris. He also leaves four grandchildren, Denise Yvonne Villarreal, Amanda Renee Villarreal, Jaime Joel Villarreal, and Alexandra Marie Jones, and three great-grandchildren: Jaime Joel Villarreal, Jr., Isabella Marie Villarreal, and Ava Marie Jones. A rosary will be recited at 7pm on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Sawyer-George Funeral Home in Corpus Christi, Texas. The funeral mass will be celebrated by Fr. Mark Wheelan, SOLT, at 11am on Friday, February 1, 2019 at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Robstown, Texas, with the interment to follow at Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi, Texas. Active pallbearers are: Dario Armendariz, Armando Garza, Richard Tamez, Adam Torres, Tony Torres, and Jaime Villarreal. Honorary pallbearers are: Bobby Gonzalez and Oton Guerrero, Jr. Memorial donations in Tony's memory are welcomed and may be made to St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, 603 N 1st Street, Robstown, Texas 78380.