Severiano Vela

He was born in San Juan, raised in Pharr and served our country in the U.S. Army from 1968-1971. After being honorably discharged he settled in San Juan together with his loving wife where they raised four children. Mr. Vela was an entrepreneur at heart and he, alongside his wife, started and ran his own company, Vela Enterprises, for 26 years. He then enjoyed working as a truck driver until he retired in 2020.

He is known for his determination, always being ready to lend a hand, and always giving it his all regardless of the project. After retirement, he dedicated himself to helping out with his grandkids, caring for his wife and working on whatever type of project came up or he could think of. Mr. Vela enjoyed fishing, playing with his grandkids, watching “how to” videos on YouTube, playing poker on Texas Holdem and sharing his wealth of knowledge with his family. He was our rock, our north star, the person we could always bounce ideas off of, and will be forever truly missed.

He is preceded in death by his son, Jesus R. Vela, his brother, Pedro F. Vela, and his parents, Andrea Gonzalez Vela and Lupe Vela.

Mr. Vela is survived by his beloved wife, Graciela A. Vela; two daughters, Andrea N. (Hector) Gonzalez, Virginia (Jorge) Castelan; a son, Miguel A. (Irasema) Vela; 10 grandchildren and four siblings.

Visitation will be held from 5 pm to 11 pm, with a 6 pm rosary on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Funeraria del Angel Palm Valley in Pharr. Funeral service will be at 9 am on Friday, May 12, 2023, at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Pharr. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmvalleyfh.com for the Vela family.