Silbanio J Hernandez Sr.

Silbanio was born in Caldwell, Texas on May 4, 1936, to Zacharias Hernandez and Liboria Jimenez Hernandez. He and his seven siblings would grow up in Caldwell where Silbanio spent his childhood. He attended school in Caldwell until he enlisted as a Private in the United States Army. His time in the Army was spent at the Chemical Corps School at Fort McClellan, Alabama and, later, his station in Colorado. He received an Honorable Discharge from active-duty service in 1956 upon which he returned home to begin life as a family man. He would spend an additional five years serving in the US Army Reserves until his discharge in 1961.

Shortly after returning to Texas, he would meet his wife Mary Rose (Rosie) on Easter Sunday at Sue Haswell Park in Bryan. After two years of dating, the two married on May 28, 1960 and remained a couple for 63 years. They were fortunate to raise a loving family which included their four children, Mary Esther, Sylvia Jean (Jeanie), Silbanio Jr, and Rosemary. As a faithful man, Silbanio attended Santa Teresa Catholic Church.

A major part of Silbanio’s life was his family. Affectionately known as “Sammy” or “Sam” to his loved ones, he was blessed to have an extensive family who he enjoyed spending time with both at home and in travel. Family time to him often included cookouts and holiday celebrations which kept him involved in the lives of his loved ones. As a pilar of his family life, he loved to spend time on the land of his childhood home in Caldwell with numerous relatives. He also enjoyed spending his vacations traveling with his family and friends, being especially fond of the gambling trips he took to casinos across the country. One thing about Silbanio was that he could never say no at a chance to win money with one of his little joys being his love for lottery tickets and scratch offs. While he enjoyed his time away from work, Silbanio took his responsibilities seriously and was known to many for his hard-working attitude.

After moving to Bryan upon completion of his military service, he enjoyed a long career and spent his working years doing numerous jobs including time at Alenco, Moore Business Forms, Saenz Cleaning, and Traditions Club. He was most known, however, for his time working at Sears, where he spent thirty-five years before retiring. Even after retiring from Sears, he would continue to stay busy both around the house and in other work. This demeanor led him to work into his eighties when he finally retired from Traditions Club in 2020.

At home, he would often be found watching one of three things: black and white westerns, his favorite game shows, or the news. He was known to always keep an active mind and stayed engaged in the latest political affairs. His time at home would also be spent watching his favorite Houston sports teams: the Oilers, Texans, and Astros. Away from the living room, he was known to enjoy his time outdoors, spending many days doing yard work, just sitting on the porch doing his “neighborhood watch”, or taking care of family pets including his dogs and grand-dogs. He was known to stay busy and loved doing tasks outside of the house as well, most notably his routine trips to HEB. While he was not especially known for his cooking skills, he enjoyed barbequing for his family on occasion. One meal he loved to make for himself was Blanquillos (huevos) con Chile. For sweets he would often enjoy one of his favorite candies -Milky Way and 3 Musketeers. His active lifestyle, unwavering work ethic, and dedication to his family leave behind a legacy of love,loyalty, and resilience. Above all, Silbanio will be remembered fondly for his determined, hardworking attitude and inherent love for family.

At peace, Silbanio is joining his dearest family and friends who preceded him in passing including his mother, Liboria; his father, Zacharias; his son, Silbanio Jr; his brothers, Eusebio and his wife, Etelunio, Cleto and his wife, Martha, and Nicholas; his sister-in-law, Adelita; and his brother-in-law, Lucio Mendez.

Silbanio’s legacy will live on through his family who he is survived by, his wife, Mary Rose Hernandez; his daughters, Mary Esther Lopez, Sylvia Jean Puentes and her partner, Jim Garcia, Rosemary (Coco) Garcia and her husband, Richard; his daughter-in-law, Veronica Hernandez; his brothers, Joaquin Hernandez and his wife, Dorothy, Juan Amado Hernandez; his sisters, Antonia Hernandez Mendez, Angela Hernandez Vasquez and her husband, Alberto Vasquez; his sister-in-law, Grace Hernandez; his grandchildren, Raymond A Lopez and his wife, Tori, Ashley R Garcia Harris and her husband, Victor Harris, Richard Garcia Jr, Diego M Puentes and his wife, Cecilia, Crystal N Garcia and her wife, Jay Garcia,Cassius M Hernandez, Lazaro Z Hernandez, Maximus T Hernandez, David Matthew Ramirez; and his great-grandchildren, Kimora, Aniyah, Jonah, Victor Jr, Sophia, Lyndsia, Beau, Colt, Ranger, Luis.

To honor Silbanio’s life a visitation will be held Monday, February 5, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM rosary will be recited at 6:00pm, Memorial Funeral Chapel, 1515 South College Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77801. A Mass of Christian Burial will occur Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Santa Teresa Catholic Church, 1212 Lucky St, Bryan,Texas 77803. A burial will occur Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 2801 Old Kurten rd., Bryan, TX 77803.

Silbanio’s family would like to thank Hospice Brazos Valley and Nurse Joe, RN for the outstanding care and comfort they provided for him and his family.