Carlos Varela, Jr.

Carlos F. Varela, Jr., 90, peacefully passed into eternal life on Sunday, May 15, 2011, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Laredo, Texas on October 10, 1920 to Carlos Varela and Francisca Garza Varela in the home where he lived his whole life.

Carlos had a great love of sports. He was 19 when he joined the Laredo All-City basketball team, the Laredo Tapawingos, and soon became a standout player helping the team win the City Championship in 1941. He also played for the Tecolotes Mexican baseball franchise, called "Lefty" as pitcher for the team based in Nuevo Laredo and competing throughout Mexico.

While attending Laredo Junior College in 1942, he decided to serve his country which was embroiled in WWII. He joined the Navy and was assigned to the Destroyer USS Ralph Talbot-DD390 which took him to the South Pacific. From 1942 to 1945 he was a gunners mate and watch captain, participating in 11 major gun battles in Guadacanal, Iwo-Jima, Guam, Japan, and the Philippines. He was awarded 11 bronze stars for his service in each of the battles.

The end of the war in 1945 brought him back home where he went back to college and to work at the Laredo Bridge System. In 1986, after 45 years, he retired as Bridge Superintendent, ending one of the longest-running careers the Laredo Bridge System has ever known. He was proud to be honored with a public ceremony by the City of Laredo in recognition of his tenure and dedication to his job.

Carlos was the patriarch of a very united family. He is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Oralia and by his daughters, Rosalinda (Frederick) Graves, Sylvia (Dr. Carlos) Vergara, Oralia (Dr. Guillermo) Salinas, Laura Varela, and Olivia (Dr. Arthur) Santos. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren: Frank (Heather) Agraz, Jr., Raquel (Ryan) Agraz Jenkins, Rebecca (Christopher) Saucedo Dynes, Eduardo (Hope) Saucedo, Carlos Javier (Jennifer) Vergara, Jr., Marco A. Vergara, Kristelle (Eluid) de los Santos Garcia, Matthew Varela, and Carl Schreiber; 7 great-grandchildren: Jacquelyn Agraz, Antonio Agraz, Gabriela Jenkins, Simone Jenkins, Carlos J. Vergara, III, Sophia Garcia and Emily Dynes; as well as his son-in-law, Toribio Saucedo.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved daughter, Diana Saucedo; and his sister, Carmela Gonzalez (Reynaldo "").

Pallbearers will be: Frederick Graves, Toribio Saucedo, Carlos Vergara, Guillermo Salinas, and Arthur Santos.