Obituary of Alvaro Rocha

Alvaro Rocha of Port Isabel, TX passed away on Thursday December 21, 2017 at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, TX.

Alvaro Rocha was the epitome of a true workaholic. He had always been the type of person to help someone else before he helps himself. Alvaro as caring as he was funny, he was as protective as he was assertive. If there is one thing that someone could not take away, it is his tenacity to get the job done and his sense of humor.

He was born in Los Fresnos, Texas on February 2nd in 1959 to Francisca Barron. He was raised by a single mother along with his siblings. He was always that person to ensure that everybody was taken care of one way or another. Although he was a workaholic, he enjoyed spending time with his family even more. If you were friends with him, it was as if you would be best friends forever as long as you showed him the adequate amount of respect.

He started out doing the most grunt work kind of jobs ever. Being a dish washer, to a shrimp boat deckhand to shrimp boat captain. He dedicated 17 years of his life to that job. When that time came to an end the shrimp boat industry, he settled down to pump gas for Val U Gas and became a captain for the Sol-Mate where he mentored numerous deckhands and assisted them to achieve their boat captain’s license. He never kept secrets about the hotspots in the water. If there was a place he knew that could help someone reel in a good catch, he went out of his way to disclose that to you. He was never greedy because the life under the sea was seen as a passion not a profession. Besides his jobs on the sea, he was always taking on odd jobs and at times bit off more than he could chew, but he still got the job done.

However, being a mentor was only part of the jobs he took part in. To those closer to him, he was a counselor, protector, provider, husband and more importantly “Dad.” It did not matter how big or small the issue was, if there was a family matter he was always there to come to the rescue. He did everything to helping out people with a loan, providing a service or getting someone a job. Truth be told, I don’t think he ever knew how to spoil himself because his notion

was to help others before you help yourself. Granted, he was an amazing Dad and an irreplaceable person overall. Alvaro Barron Rocha well forever be remembered as the happy funny captain with a big smile and a heart of gold.

He is in preceeded in death by his mother: Francisca Barron, two sisters: Rosario Barron and Juanita Barron Rocha ,one brother: Jose (Maxi) Saldivar as well as one niece Erika Francisca Garza.

Alvaro is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Camila Rocha, two daughters: Crystal Jean Rocha and Nancy Lee Martinez, three grandsons: Isaac Martinez, Cristian Amador and Alvaro Baron Rocha, one granddaughter: Crystal Angelica Martinez, four brothers: Juan (Katy) Costilla, Francisco (Stephanie) Niles, Alberto (Frances) Saldivar and Calvin (Michelle) Reyes; five sisters: Guadalupe Barron, Adela (+Alberto) Contreras, Cecilia (Juan) Reyes, Socorro Rodriguez and Esperanza Rodriguez as well as several nephews, nieces and other relatives.

Honored to be serving as pallbearers are Alberto Saldivar, Calvin Reyes, Ricardo Garza, Marcos Colorado, Marcos Amador, Isaac Martinez, Crystal Angelica Martinez and Alvaro Baron Rocha.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 22, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a holy rosary at 7:00 p.m., at Thomae Garza funeral Home in San Benito, Texas.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Cremation will follow in accordance to his wishes.

You may sign the online guestbook and send words of comfort, flowers, or sympathy cards to the family of Alvaro Rocha at: www.thomaegarza.com.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care of Thomae-Garza Funeral Home, 395 South Sam Houston St. in San Benito, Texas.  www.thomaegarza.com.