Juan Saenz III

A Texan, Juan J. Saenz III was born on April 20, 1933, in Brownsville, TX. He was the first of 10 siblings of the Saenz family. As a young man, Juan worked for his father, Juan J. Saenz Jr. at Saenz Motor Shop repairing vehicles. After high school, he wanted to serve his country and further his education by enlisting into the United States Army in 1953. He attended basic training at the 93rd Armored Battalion, 6th Armored Division in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and joined company Battery “A” as part of the Corps of Engineers. Upon completion of his basic training, he joined the 485th Engineer Combat Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and was later stationed in Regensburg, Germany.

After his military service, he completed his studies at the University of Texas in Austin and received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1958. After graduating, he started his civil service career at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. In 1961, he transferred from Tinker AFB to Kelly AFB, Texas until his retirement as the Chief, Logistics Management Branch of the Fighter / Tactical / Trainer System Program Management Division. During his 31 years of dedicated service as a civilian employee of the United States Air Force, Juan organized the Engineering Explorer Post of Material Management. The purpose of the organization was to encourage interested high school and college students to pursue the engineering field. Students were taken on field trips, given presentations and encouraged to become engineers. Money was also raised to award scholarships to deserving students.

He married Yolanda Villarreal, and raised three children, John David, Sandra and Daniel and later welcomed 5 wonderful grandchildren whom he adored greatly. As a devoted parent, Juan served as President of the PTA of his children’s middle school at Pat Neff. He also served as a Cub Scout Master and an Indian Guide.

Everyone that knew Juan found that he had a gift for speaking, storytelling and loved reminiscing about the past. In his earlier years, he enjoyed traveling back to his hometown to spend time with family and enjoyed fishing on the jetty at Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. Some of his favorite hobbies included writing poetry, collecting coins, reading, gardening, shopping and watching the UT Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys play during football season. Juan was a devoted family man and a caring brother who took great pride in looking out for his entire family.

Family and friends will gather at Sunset Memorial Park and Funeral Home 1701 Austin Hwy San Antonio, Texas 78218 at 12:30 pm on Friday March 28, 2025 for services. A committal service with military honors will be held immediately following at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery at 2:30 pm. A catered reception will be provided at Sunset Memorial Park and Funeral Home after services from 3:15 pm to 5:15 pm.