Joe Hernandez, 82, of Nederland, died Friday, February 17, 2012, at the Medical Center of Southeast Texas, Port Arthur.
He was born February 26, 1929, to Angelina and Amado Hernandez in Port Arthur; he was a lifelong resident of the area. Joe married his high school sweetheart, Viola, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in 1951. He went to work at the Texaco Port Arthur Plant immediately out of high school, and also joined the United States National Guard at this time. Joe retired from the National Guard as a Warrant Officer. He worked at Texaco in Port Arthur from 1948 until 1988. While employed at Texaco, he received a Meritorious Safety Award from Texaco for emergency aid to a fellow employee during an incident at the plant.
Joe was involved in the Port Arthur Evening Sertoma Club for several years. He served as an officer and president of the club. Joe was very involved with all tasks the Sertoma Club had asked him to help with, and really enjoyed his working with them. While a member of this club, he had also been involved in numerous activities as a volunteer such as Boys Haven, Girls Haven, the Hughen School, and the United Board of Missions. Joe also worked with St. Elizabeth Catholic Church CYO during their yearly fundraiser with Mardi Gras in downtown Port Arthur.
He volunteered to be a mentor at Hillcrest Elementary School in Nederland. Joe spoke Spanish, so he was able to help the Spanish speaking children acclimate to their new English speaking school. He would meet with the students in the mornings and help them communicate with their teachers and other school staff to make their transition easier.
Among his endeavors was to go to Florida and help the people stricken by hurricane Charley. He and another Sertoma member drove a truck furnished with a stove and other cooking items from Nederland to Punta Gorda, Florida, to help serve hot meals to the storm victims. Joe worked tirelessly at this job for over a week.
Joe is survived by his wife, Viola Hernandez of Nederland; son, Joel Hernandez and his wife, Tammie of Port Neches; daughters, Roxie English and her husband, Mark of Port Neches and Kristi Young and her husband, Shaun of Austin; grandchildren, Mason English, Julian Hernandez, Jonah Hernandez and Mason Arnaud; sister, Theresa Saenz and her husband, Angelo of Nederland; and many special friends.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 2:00 p.m., Monday, February 20, 2012, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 3648 S/Sgt. Lucian Adams Drive, Port Arthur, with entombment to follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Groves, under the direction of Broussard’s, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. A gathering of his family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, February 19, 2012, at Broussard’s.
