Santos Navarro Hernandez, 80, passed away on Sunday, August 29, 2010, at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas in Beaumont. He was born in Asherton, Texas on October 20, 1929 to Guadalupe Navarro and Julian Hernandez.
A child of the Great Depression, he learned and appreciated the value of hard-work and the need to be frugal. His early years were spent as a migrant farm worker packing crops across the United States. He eventually went to trade school in Eagle Pass, Texas where he learned to be a welder. In 1967, he moved his family to Beaumont and was employed with Bethlehem Steel where he became a 1st class welder. He retired from the shipyard in 1985. He was a longtime parishioner of Cristo Rey Catholic Church. Throughout his life he always put his family first and was well respected by all who knew him. He could usually be found working in his yard with his coffee cup in hand or watching his birds throughout the day. As a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he loved to tell stories of his upbringing and the events that shaped his life. He lived the philosophy "what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong".
He is survived by his wife, Guadalupe R. Hernandez; six children, Alicia H. Villasana of Hamshire, Julian Hernandez of Lumberton, Cruz Hernandez of San Diego, California, Veronica Hernandez Silva of Carrizo Springs, Texas, Santos J. Hernandez and Gustavo Hernandez both of Beaumont; sisters, Sofia Rincones, Amelia Sanchez, Godie Pisano and Maria Hilda Moreno; brothers, Mingo Moreno and Pete Moreno; twelve grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 3, 2010, at Cristo Rey Catholic Church with burial to follow at Magnolia Cemetery under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. A gathering of his family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 2, 2010, with a Rosary to be recited at 6:00 p.m. at Broussard’s.
