Henry Joseph Alvarez

Henry Joseph Alvarez, age 89, of Lubbock, Texas passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. He was born on December 28, 1936, in Cebu City, Philippines to Don Jose "Pepe" Alvarez and Carmen Veloso Alvarez. As the grandson of Don Luis Alvarez y Diaz of Cebu, Henry grew up and resided in the 1730 Jesuit House, which is considered to be one of the oldest houses in the Philippines and is now preserved as a museum.

In 1942, during World War II, the prominent Alvarez family were rescued by the Americans and brought to Leyte from Cebu, and at six years old, Henry sat in the lap of General Douglas MacArthur.

Henry possessed and honed many talents throughout his life, showing great enthusiasm in oration, theatre, and soccer among other interests; however, where he truly shined was playing basketball in the guard position. He attended Colegio del Santo Niño for secondary school where he played and won two national basketball championships, and while pursuing higher education, he played basketball for the University of San Jose-Recoletos and the University of Visayas. The latter is where he ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

Following his education, Henry pursued politics and became the youngest mayor of San Miguel, Bohol at 22 years old during the time of President Diosdado Macapagal. As mayor, he served two terms and two additional years appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos.

It was around this time that Henry met his first wife, Wilfreda Barol, from Tagbilaran with whom he had three kids: Michael, Mia, and Cristina.

Subsequenting his days in politics, he moved to Manila and became the General Manager of Ayala Makati Commercial Center under the Ayala/Zobel Corporation. He also took time to showcase his acting chops doing TV commercials for Sunkist soft drinks and played the role of Pontius Pilate as well as the role of Mark Antony for the production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Additionally, he was invited and flown to Laoag, Ilocos Norte to do a dance number for President Marcos and First Lady Imelda. Years later, he and his family moved to New York City where he worked in various roles, most notably as the Director of Maintenance and Quality Assurance Manager at GoldWater Memorial Hospital on Roosevelt Island.

After the passing of Henry’s beloved wife, he was a widower for 13 years. He later met and married Lalaine Delos Santos with whom he had his youngest daughter Caressa. They lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for 10 years prior to moving to Lubbock, Texas to be near his son, Michael where he since lived for 17 years.

Henry is survived by his sister Dessa; wife Lalaine; son Michael; daughters Mia, Cristina, and Caressa; daughter-in-law Olivia; son-in-law Ralph; grandchildren MJ, Myka, Carmela, Scarlett, Gynger, Annie, and Sophia; and several great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his his first wife, Wilfreda, parents and siblings Pepito, Rafael, and Adolfo.

Henry will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and his love and endless wisdom will live on in our memories.

Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5740 West 19th Street, Lubbock, TX 79407, US, on May 3, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and a Rosary will be held there on May 3, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Christ The King Cathedral, 4011 54th St, Lubbock, TX 79413, on May 4, 2026, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am