Celso Cuellar, Jr.

With great sadness, his two sisters share the news of the untimely death of Celso Cuellar Jr, a devoted son and brother, life-long Catholic, and generous philanthropist. Celso leaves behind a legacy of unwavering faith, service to others, and a profound dedication to education.

Celso is preceded in death by his parents, Celso Cuellar, Sr, and Matiana Medina Cuellar, who operated a neighborhood drug store in Celso’s native San Antonio, and his adopted brother, Luis S. Cuellar, a long-time resident of Houston, Texas. Celso is survived by his two sisters, Lourdes M. Cuellar, and Nicanora C. Cuellar, and his two beloved cats, Kelly and Lucky. He is also survived by his aunt, Marcia Cuellar Guzman, and many cousins on both the Cuellar and Medina sides of the family.

Celso’s early years were spent on Lamar St. on the east side of San Antonio, in the house his paternal grandfather built in 1925. Here, he welcomed home four uncles, adopted brother Luis, and a cousin from WW II. Celso helped his parents serving customers in the drug store, made deliveries on his bicycle, flipped hamburgers, and made ice cream cones and floats at the store’s classic “soda fountain.”

After graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) Celso started his career in Houston, at one of the Mading Drugs stores in Clear Lake, Texas where he had the privilege of meeting many of the early astronauts. He worked for Target Stores until their pharmacies were closed in the early 1980s. He decided to return to his hometown of San Antonio to open an independent pharmacy for 16 years and to help his parents. Celso returned to working for Target when their pharmacies reopened. He held supervising pharmacist and management positions for both Kmart and Target pharmacies. He assisted in the opening of new Target pharmacies in San Antonio and South Texas. After retirement from Target pharmacy, Celso supported an independent pharmacy, Hill’s Drug Store No 1 in San Antonio, owned by UHCOP classmate, Arthur Jamie Siller.

Celso was a proud and active member of the Catholic community throughout his life. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help School for kindergarten, St. Gerard Grade School, and graduated from St. Gerard High School. In his later years he was a parishioner of St. Gregory the Great Church where he attended daily Mass. He would return monthly to attend Sunday Mass at his beloved St. Gerard Church, until he could no longer drive.

Celso continued to support St. Gerard Parish throughout his life, volunteering time for planning church improvements and donating financially to his former parish. He served nine years on the St. Gerard High School Board, focusing most of his efforts in developing and building the Alumni Giving Fund. Celso felt very proud and blessed for his Catholic education at St. Gerard. His generosity extended far beyond his professional life. Celso was a passionate advocate for Catholic education, and he made Catholic education available for students in need. Although he did not have any children, Celso paid the parochial high school tuition for the children of others.

A proud pharmacist, he was a member of the Bexar County Pharmacy Association throughout his career and served countless years as the Association’s Treasurer. Celso made significant contributions toward numerous pharmacy scholarships. At UHCOP Celso served numerous years on the Dean’s Advisory Council, a “Red Coat” honoree of the Mading Society of benefactors, and the 2016 recipient of the Pharmacist Alumnus of the Year. Two endowments at UHCOP have been established by the Cuellar family, the Lourdes M and Nicanora C Cuellar Presidential Endowed Fellowship and the Celso and Matiana Cuellar Endowed Scholarship, with a third memorial endowment pending. In addition, the UHCOP has a dedicated space, the Celso Cuellar and Lourdes M Cuellar Dean’s Conference Room in recognition of the gifts toward completion of the college’s state-of-the-art home. Celso’s donations enabled countless students to pursue their academic dreams and careers.

When his father passed away, Celso committed to replacing his father in observing Holy Hours and assisting his parish in prayer groups and men’s service groups. His faith and family were the cornerstones of his existence, guiding both his personal and professional choices. Celso also never met an individual he did not call friend and had a very large network of friends throughout his hometown of San Antonio and Texas. A generous soul, throughout his life he donated to the Redemptorist priests and School Sisters of Notre Dame who shaped his heart and soul at St Gerard Church and Schools.

As a parishioner at St. Gregory Catholic Church, he was known for his kindness, humility, and commitment to serving others, often volunteering his time and resources to support various church activities such as weekly Holy Hours and Fishers of Men prayer group, and, outreach programs.

As a pharmacist, Celso worked tirelessly for over 50 years, contributing to the health and well-being of countless individuals across Texas. Celso earned the rare distinction of receiving a special honorary certificate for 50 years of service from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. His professional career was marked by an exceptional work ethic and a deep commitment to patient care and customer service. Celso earned the respect and admiration of colleagues, the students he mentored, and his customers alike. He was especially proud of his role in mentoring young pharmacists, always eager to share his knowledge and experience with the next generation. Throughout his life, Celso kept in contact with his classmates from St. Gerard, his colleagues from the University of Houston (go Coogs!), former co-workers, former customers, and fellow parishioners. As he neared his final years, his health care providers also became his friends.

Celso’s legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched, both through his charitable contributions and his example of selfless caring service. He will be remembered for his kindness, faith, and commitment to his customers. In his words, “What always brought me great satisfaction is the one-on-one interaction with the customers and being humbled by the great trust they have in you, especially when you’re working in communities, who may not have the financial resources that others have.”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) Celso Cuellar, Jr, Endowed Scholarship.

The family will receive friends for visitation at Porter Loring Mortuary on Sunday, November 24, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ROSARYSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 20245:00 P.M.PORTER LORING MORTUARY1101 MCCULLOUGH AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212

MASSMONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 202410:00 A.M.ST. GERARD CATHOLIC CHURCH1523 IOWA ST., SAN ANTONIO, TX 78203