Hector G. Mendes

Dad’s Obituary is not meant to be taken as a mockery of his life. He instructed us explicitly that

we were to be humorous and to celebrate his life. We were to remember him without tears.

Hector G. Mendes, 82, passed away peacefully on February 6, 2019. It is believed his death

was caused from carrying his golf clubs along with the 200 stray balls in his bag he found while

playing 18 holes on Sunday. As it was told, his heart gave out due to losing the game to his

best friends and “Partners” and after reluctantly having to pay his $2.50 gambling debt.

He left behind a lot of stuff for his sons and daughters to sort through who have no idea what to

do with it. Items include golf magazines, Spurs newspaper clippings, hundreds of assorted golf

tees and extensive records of golf scores over the years. If anyone is looking for furniture such

as a TV chair with popcorn grease, stuffed with pistachio shells, and prune juice stains, it will

soon be available for purchase. In addition to the furniture there are several pairs of golf shoes,

gloves, and assorted baseball caps including his favorite teams the Dallas Cowboys (when they

were winning) and the Spurs (regardless). This is not an ad for an estate sale (which will be

held in March), but an obituary he made me promise to write (nothing sad – only funny), for a

remarkable father, friend, golfer, printer, and Marine.

Hector was born on September 14, 1936 and raised by his adoration and beloved grandmother

“Lita”. He leaves behind a family of cats that waited patiently to be fed and ½ 20lb bag of

Meow Mix that they have been eyeing from the sliding glass door.

Hector was known for his lack of patience when it came to not following explicit directions he

gave when it came to the printing shop. He was meticulous and a perfectionist. He always told

it like it is. He always told the truth even if you didn’t want to hear it. He often stated:”If you dig

yourself into a hole – dammit stop digging!” (Note to self- SELL the shovel) With that being said,

he was genuine, compassionate, and as we are finding out now, very sentimental and

somewhat of a penny hoarder from which he found on the street.

He never sugar coated the truth. He was very articulate, creative and had an extensive

vocabulary to include different pronunciations of words he had acquired from Reader’s Digest

Words of the Week. He was exceptional when it came to giving advice. He had this incredible

wisdom and a vivid way of painting a mental picture for you of how badly you screwed up the

advice he had given you. (Note… the SHOVEL SELL IT).

His words of encouragement and comfort kept us in line and taught us how to survive with

dignity and integrity in the most difficult times.

Everyone always knew where they stood with him. He liked you or he didn’t. As his children we

are all still trying to figure out who he liked best because he told us all individually we were his

favorite (Shhh -I figured it out).

He was a master at making Menudo and he made the best Chicken soup when you started to

show signs of a cold; one bowl and you sweat it out. He made the best picadillo, sometimes

burned and chewy but with a lot of love. He loved his blackened tortillas straight from the stove

and catfish, and was getting so much better at perfecting his favorites pumpkin and pecan pies.

He had his priorities straight: Golf, Mendes Printing, Golf, Lunch with Mario Gonzalez, Golf, and

then his kids.

He is preceded in death by his grandson Jaime Raul Mendes. Left to cherish his memory are

his former spouse Mary Kallie Mendes and his children (oldest to youngest – not favorite to

least) OllieRay (Teresa Arechiga) Mendes, Hector Gueriel “Gary” Mendes, LindaRae (John)

Johnson, and Jessica Mendes Warren. His grandchildren: Daniel Mendes, Gary Mendes,

Guerriel Mendes Flores, Eduardo Mendes Flores, Maria Cristina Mendes Flores, Ethan Mendes

Warren, Jonah Mendes Warren, and Isabella Mendes; as well as other family members and

friends.

He held sacred to him the Spurs, the Cowboys (again only when winning), his cats: Printer,

Jorge, and Monkey, his daily delivery of the San Antonio News, Laredo Times, and The Wall

Street Journal.

He was an avid golfer, a successful business owner of Mendes Printing for 57 years, a devoted

father, loyal friend, connoisseur of Avocado sandwiches and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice

Cream in order to eat his pecans with(don’t tell the doctor), and an overall charitable

humanitarian. He was a dedicated Rotarian and US Marine Corp Sergeant.

Please note he always said “I was born in Laredo and I will die in Laredo”. He often complained

about the outrageous price of Starbucks coffee and the increasing price of golf fees. He

insisted on his Senior discount at McDonalds, Whataburger and Cracker Barrel Hector has

now entered a “relocation program” with a new place of residence- living with me, only because

I am the one that lives closest to the golf course. He is now a few feet away, walking distance

from 18 holes at Onion Creek and his golf fees have been prepaid in life by his exceptional hard

work, dedication, tenacity, charity, and above all goodwill.

He believed a man’s handshake was his word and he shook many hands in his lifetime. He

always worried about what he would leave behind – his Legacy and a pair of shoes No One Can

Ever Fill.

Daddy has made a “HOLE in ONE” in his lifetime – Rest in Peace and Sempre Fi.

The family will receive guests, Monday, February 18, 2019, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services for a memorial service.   A service will be held at 10:00 am.

Funeral arrangements are by Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services, 1320 Trey Dr. Laredo, TX 78041 (956)723-3611.  You may leave condolences to the family online at www.freddickey.com