Trinidad Reyes

Memorial services to celebrate the life of Trinidad Reyes, Jr. will be at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at Good Shepherd Funeral Home in Raymondville, TX.  Burial will be Wednesday, September 13 in the Raymondville City Cemetery. 

Trini went to be with our Lord on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Grapevine, TX after a two-year battle with a variety of medical problems including dementia which was his greatest challenge. 

Born on June 3, 1951, he was the third of fifteen children born to Trinidad Reyes, Sr. and Petra (Posas) Reyes.  Attending school in the Raymondville School District, he graduated with the Class of 1970, but not before establishing himself as an outstanding saxophone player.  A lifelong Bearcat fan, he passed from this world with a Bearcat T-shirt on his chest.  After graduation he attended the University of North Texas as a music major; however, after one year he decided to join the United States Air Force in 1971.   

Desiring a greater challenge than working in payroll, he cross trained into an electronics communication career.  While stationed in Minot, North Dakota, (Why not Minot?) he met his future wife, Virginia Quenzer.  They were married in December, 1974.  The entire six years in the Air Force were spent living in Texas or Virginia.

Upon being discharged, Trini returned to Texas and obtained an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at Texas State Technical Institute in Waco, TX.  Upon graduation he and Virginia moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex where he lived out his life.   He worked for Siemens and Diasonics to repair medical equipment.   In 2008, he returned to the University of North Texas and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in General Studies.  This qualified him to get an alternative teacher certification and start a new career.  Until his retirement in 2014 he monitored the In School Suspension students which he enjoyed teaching.

From the time his children were aged four to aged seventeen, he coached their sports teams: soccer, baseball and basketball.  He always managed to teach the players the fundamentals of the game which he believed made them better players.  As a result, all of his teams were a force with which to reckon.  He wasn’t so much interested in winning as much as he was interested in the players trying their best and playing with heart; however, his hope was that winning would follow, and many times it did.   He never missed his children’s games or his daughter’s ballet recitals.  Also, he never missed watching a Dallas Cowboy game.

 Gardening became his passion, and he was good at it.  No one in the neighborhood could grow such large tomatoes, onions and squash which he shared with anyone who walked past the yard.  After he retired, he focused on gardening and the street curb.  He had the cleanest curb on the street and even swept the curbs of some of his neighbors.  If he saw even one leaf as he sat on the porch, he would have to retrieve it or send his wife to retrieve it.   

The last fourteen months of his life were at Avalon Memory Care in Keller.  He whiled away the time sitting in the patio, listening to Mexican music and watching for birds and planes in the sky.   Sitting outside was his greatest joy and the high temperatures this summer crushed his spirit since no one could safely sit outside. 

Sadly, the activity he most loved was fishing, and he just never got to partake of it very often. The few times he was in Raymondville, he had the most fun fishing with his brothers and brother-in-law at Port Mansfield. 

Trini will be missed by his wife of 48 years Virginia, his twin children Katrina (Chris) Zahorik of Dickinson, Carl (Kristen) of Richardson and the apple of his eye granddaughter Kalee Rose Zahorik who called him Ito.  Also mourning his passing are two brothers Roberto (Lorena) of Harlingen and Ruben (Mary) of Ft. Worth, Sisters Alicia (Carlos) Giner of Baytown, TX, Sylvia (Robert) Cabellero, Alma Kelley, Ida Hernandez, Oralia Reyes, Irene Reyes and Andrea Reyes all of Raymondville, TX, and one sister-in law Carol Quenzer Shoquist in Plano.  He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.  

Preceding him in death were his parents, Trinidad Sr. and Petra, brothers Julio in infancy and Rene, and sisters Rebecca Garcia, Rosalinda Cavazos and Rosario Hernandez, brothers-in-law Joe Hernandez and Gilbert Garcia. 

A viewing was held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, from 9:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. with a memorial service to celebrate his life, at 7:00 P.M. at Good Shepherd Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 10:00 A.M. at the Raymondville Memorial Park Cemetery.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are Carl Reyes, Chris Zahorik, John David Hernandez, Gabriel Reyes, Kevin Vera and Joshua Kelley.  

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the caring hands of Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 1157 W. Hidalgo Ave., Raymondville, TX 78580.

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