Manuel Maria Benavides
October 18, 1944 – July 11, 2020
Manuel Maria Benavides, age 75, was born into Eternal Rest and joined our Lord in His Heavenly Kingdom on Saturday, July 11, 2020, virtually surrounded by his beloved family at the hour of his death.
Meme, as he was affectionately known, graduated from Martin High School in 1963 and received an Associate’s Degree in Business from Laredo Sate College. He married the love of his life, Yolanda Villarreal, on July 31st, 1970 at San Luis Rey Church. Meme and Yolanda would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 31st, 2020.
Meme worked at Powell-Watson Motors for 25 years where he worked his way up to Finance Manager. In 1989, he embarked in a new career venture in insurance. He brought his strong work ethic to his new career and found success as a Farmers Insurance agent for over 30 years. He continued working every day until the time of his sudden illness. His family and friends knew him as an honest, hard worker, light-spirited, kindhearted, devoted, loving family man. He lived for his family and his beloved wife, Yolanda. Meme didn’t let his age slow him down. He was devout and active in his faith and found joy in tending to his vegetable garden at his little ranch in Los Botines, TX. He enjoyed traveling the world with his wife and family. He especially relished every moment he spent with his adored grandchildren. Meme was a rare combination of someone who knew the value of a good day’s work, and the worth of having a witty sense of humor. He had a love for life with a firm understanding of what was important and never betraying his values. He was an exemplary husband, father, grandfather and friend who will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
He is preceded in his death by his parents, Jose Salomon Uribe Benavides originally from San Ignacio, TX and Virginia Martinez Villarreal, his brothers, Oziel Anibal Benavides, Leonelo Ramon Benavides, twins Melchor Gasper and Baltazar Benavides, Leonel Benavides, and sister Noelia Benavides Pedraza. In-laws Trinidad Villarreal and Martin Villarreal.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 50 years, Yolanda Villarreal Benavides, four children, Manuel (Liliana) Benavides, Rene Alberto (Diana) Benavides, Maritza Lizette (Gerardo) Garza, and Kristina Aidee (Alfonso) Arellano. He is also survived by his 11 grandchildren, Anali Benavides, Manuel Benavides Jr., Emmanuel Benavides, Sarah Renee Benavides, Ashley Renee Benavides, Gerardo Antonio Garza, II, Alejandro Javier Garza, Arturo Javier Garza, Daniela Lizette Garza, Karina Aidee Arellano, Klarissa Aidee Arellano, his siblings, Jose Salomon (Maria) Benavides Jr. and Romelia (Lester+) Creel, numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and many dear friends.
The family will have a private viewing, for the safety of the family and the public. The family will be live streaming the services at www.freddickey.com on Thursday, July 30, 2020 starting at 5:00 pm.
The Mass will be live streamed on St. Patrick Catholic Church facebook page on Friday, July 31, 2020 starting at 10:00 am.
Funeral arrangements are by Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services, 1320 Trey Dr., Laredo, Texas 78041 (956) 723-3611. For your convenience, you may leave your condolences to the family online at www.freddickey.com
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Post an EventOur sincere condolences.
The staff of Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services.
On behalf of my late father, Jimmy Jones, I would like to express condolences on the loss of Mr. Benavides. During the years that he worked at Powell Watson motors my siblings and I got to know him as a friendly individual and I distinctly remember my father saying how reliable and skillful Meme was as finance manager. May he rest in peace.
Our most sincere condolences on the passing of Mr B. May perpetual light shine upon him. Prayers of peace and comfort to the family during this difficult time.
Tio you will be missed; I’m sadden because I never was able to thank you for the talk we had. You help me understand the road I was traveling wasn’t the correct one. I will always remember that day, for it was a turning point in my life. I will never forget you, may you Rest in Peace. Rolando Villarreal
My most sincere condolences to to the Benavides family. Mr. Benavides help us finance our first suburban. Our thoughts and prayers.
Rest In Peace Tío. You will be missed and always remembered. My deepest condolences for the Benavides family.
Condolences to the entire Benavides family. May perpetual light shine upon him and may he RIP
In memory of Manuel Maria Benavides, Raquel Mendez lit a candle
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
In memory of Manuel Maria Benavides, Mr. & Mrs. Efrain Ruiz and Family lit a candle
Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your husband/father. Know that my prayers are with you. I hope that your strong faith and commitment to our Lord will see you through this very difficult times. God bless all of you.
My most sincerest condolences to your Family. May your Father rest in Peace The Robles Family
God Bless the Benavides family. Mr. Benavides was a strong and loving father. He was a pillar of his community and a hardworking individual. He will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace in the Lord's loving embrace.
My condolences to the Benavides Family. Even though we could not be there in person we are with you in spirit and watching virtually. May Mr. Benavides Rest In Peace.
Primos queremos darles nuestro más sentido pésame. Desde que yo era un adolescente me sentía muy cerca de mi Tío Meme. Lo recordaremos como una personas que siempre tenia extendida una mano para el que lo necesitaba..yo fui uno de ellos para comenzar desde mi adolescencia cuando el me enseñó a manejar un carro. Además lo recordaremos como una persona con un gran sentido del humor y nunca veía ningún problema que no tuviera solución. Definitivamente alguien muy fácil de poder platicar con el. Sentimos mucho su perdida primos. Por favor denle nuestras condolencias a mi Tía Yolanda. Un Abrazo fuerte para toda la familia Rosaura y Luis Pedraza
May God grant you peace in your loss and his gain. Trust God ...amen
May my condolences bring you comfort and may my prayers ease the pain of this loss. He will be in our hearts forever. BIG HUG to all the Benavides family.
Our deepest condolences. May God give you strength on these sad sad days. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. RIP Those we love do not go away. Tio Meme will continue with us through all the wonderful memories he left us. We are deeply pained for your loss of Tio Meme. God now has him in his arms. He will live forever on our hearts through the happy memories we all shared with him.
Tia, we are so sorry for your loss. We will miss him very much. We will always remember his birthday party in October. I wish we could have been there tonight with you and the family. With our deepest sympathy to you and the whole family. Love Betty and George Acosta
My deepest and sincerest sympathies to all the family on your loss. May the beautiful memories you have of him bring you peace, comfort, and strength.
Tio you will be heavily missed! As a kid I thought the Easter bunny only came to my “Tio Meme’s rancho” some my dearest memories were with you at your special place. You will be dearly missed but I know your with your sister my Vita up in heaven. Love you Tio Meme Your Great nephew , Mike Patiño
Our deepest sympathy, and our prayers are with you. Love Jose Benavides, Maria Benavides, and Jesus Benavides
Our most sincere condolences to all the Benavides family. May God fill you with peace and comfort.
My deepest sympathies in your time of sorrow. May all the beautiful memories you have of him bring you peace, comfort and strength.
RIP Tio Meme, he would always be remember as someone who played an important part of my life being he was my late mother's younger brother," mi hermanito Meme "as she would say . He was always a very kind man, always laughing,I have always admired him for his dedication an love to his wife Tia Yolanda and his 4 kids and then all his grand kids. I have great memories of family gatherings , birthdays, Christmas Holidays , Easter Sunday at the ranch . It is a great loss for the family but a gain in heaven. To all the family , my heart and prayers are with you all . Love you all.
Dad, May you rest in peace and guide us through this life and into the next life waiting on us. May you rest in peace and thank you for being an exceptional father, mentor and friend. I will continue to value the lessons you hqf3 taught in this life and abide by the legacy and example you leave behind. I am proud to say that it has been a great 47 years of life knowing and loving you; I am thankful for that opportunity. We will be strong for you and the entire family and we will take on the responsibilities to keep the wolfs away. I know that heaven is a better place with you in it and you are no longer in any pain. Please, guide us through signs and feeling knowing your presence is around. I Love you Pop and you are greatly missed. Love your son, Rene Benavides
We are so very sorry for your loss. You all are in our thoughts and prayers.
In memory of Manuel Maria Benavides, Mike and Brittany Patino lit a candle
Our deepest condolences to a great man who raised a beautiful family. Christina Davila Villarreal
We are so very sorry, his absence will affect us all. He was always such a big presence, always such a kind man who loved his wife and family above all else. He was taken from us too soon but we will preserve his memory by remembering easter at the ranch, remembering his loud and infectious laugh that made any family gathering feel immediately more comfortable when you heard it. He was a great man with a beautiful and close family and he will live through each one of you. Although we cannot be there with you to give you big hugs and hold hands, please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Love you all
Our deepest condolences to the Benavides family, from the Reina’s Family . May he RIP?
RIP Dad, I Love you and Miss you every day. May the Lord shine the light and guide you to him. Heaven has gained more than an angel. Protect your loved ones until we meet again. You will be missed dearly by your family and friends.
I love you grandpa<3
I love you and miss you Grandpa! Rest in Eternal Peace. Please watch over us from Heaven.
Our Deepest Condolences to All The Family. May The Good Lord be with All of You during this Great Loss. May He Rest In Peace. God Bless
May the Lord have you at his side always!??
Meme Benavides was a great leader in our community which will be surely missed . Our condolences to the Benavides family from Mr. and Mrs. John Lopez.??
Please accept our sincere condolences on your loss and may those beautiful yesterdays always remain your heart and your sorrows gently fade away . Know that your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Please Yolanda know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.We are saddened by Meme ‘s passing. He was greatly liked, respected and admired. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Our sincere condolences....... Ana Cecilia (Daiches co-worker) and Fernando (Bear) Barrera
My wife and I knew Meme and Yolanda for many years. Yolanda and Consuelo were friends since their days at TWU, and later taught together at Daiches Elem for several years. I knew Meme since he worked at Powell Watson. Meme was always jovial and friendly and a great professional business man. Both of us want to express our Most Sincere Condolences to Yolanda and the family. He is now in a better place with our Lord. May he Rest In Peace.
Our most sincere condolences, May he rest peace and Perpetual light shine upon him. Its so hard no able to be present. Prayers for peace of mind and strength for All the Benavides Family. Alejandro and Inez Medina.
For 55 years I have known Meme, my Compadre and of course, Yolanda. It was such an honor to be part of his circle of friends; he was always a joy to talk to and be around. He always had a happy disposition and a joke to tell and make us laugh. Even now after days of his passing, it is difficult to assimilate that painful reality. Yolanda, our deepest heartfelt condolences to you and the family. As you live through this difficult moment in life, please be assured you are in our prayers as we join your family and friends in asking the Lord to grant you strength and understanding.
Our condolences from Maria Nereida Bazan (Neddy) and family. I remember his gentle and witty nature. May God bless your family always.
I knew Meme since junior high. He was a true gentleman and a true family man. Meme was a very hard worker and accomplished a lot during his life. Building a huge portfolio of insured and passing on his knowledge to his children. My deepest expressions of sympathy to his wife, Yolanda, and all his children and grandchildren. May God Bless his soul and may he rest in God's peace.
My most sincere condolences for ur great loss, Mrs. Yolanda V. Benavides. Praying for you Yolanda to feel the peace that passes all understanding in knowing your Love One is Safe in the tender keeping of Our Lord. God Bless U all. Amen. Amen
To Mrs. Yolanda Benavides and family, Our sincere condolences for your profound loss, Meme Benavides. Meme was a very nice, courteous and professional person. I’m sure that he went straight to Heaven and is in God’s loving arms. God bless you, Sincerely, Mark and Judy Garza and family.
We are sorry for your loss. Praying for your family during this difficult time.
Our sincere condolences from Buddy Bruni and Family.
To All Of Meme's Family, It broke my heart to have heard of Meme's passing. We go back a very long time. My deepest condolences to the family of a dear friend. Alex and Rosa Gonzales
Our sincere condolences to Yolanda and all the family !! We knew Meme and Yolanda because of his brother Jose. May he Rest In Peace ????
In memory of Manuel Maria Benavides, Rosa Elva Garcia lit a candle
Nuestro mas sincero pesame para Yolanda y toda su familia. Conosimos a Meme por su hermano los Compadres Pepe y Maria. QEPD ???? Juan Jose y Rosa Elva Garcia
My condolence to the family of Manuel "Meme" Benavides. He was a good man and a good friend of mine for over 40 years. May he rest in peace.
Our most sincere and deepest condolences to you and your family. There are no words that will comfort your heart and soul during this time; but always know the Lord is with you and will never abandon you. In the days ahead, he will give you the strength and courage to move forward one day at a time. And he will lift your loved one in the palm of his hand to an everlasting peaceful garden in heaven.
Very sad that my friend, Meme (Memito) as we affectionately called him, has passed. I worked with him and knew him for many years. My deepest condolences to all of the family. You are in HEAVEN now, my friend. Rest in Peace. God Bless. Jack
My sincere condolences to the entire Benavides Family He will not be forgotten and will forever be in my prayers Jesus I Trust in you
In memory of Manuel Maria Benavides, Cynthia Villarreal lit a candle
Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services
Our sincere condolences.
The staff of Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services.