Roger Santos Robles

Roger Santos Robles, age 88, passed away on Monday, October 2, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on January 16, 1935 in San Antonio, Texas to Anita Santos and Milton Robles. He is survived by his wife Elida and his sons Michael, Samuel and Mark, his sister Diana Kolb and her husband Kenneth and Rosemary Smith and her husband Steve. He was preceded in death by his parents, his youngest son Joseph, sisters Gloria Cook and Norma Ornales and his brother Milton Jr.

When he was young, he was big brother to his sisters, often bossing them around, not out of meanness but just trying to survive the chaos those four young ladies brought to his life. While he lived in town in San Antonio, he spent much of his life on “the ranch”, the family’s Hill Country property. He worked hard out there but also enjoyed hunting and riding horses.

He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1954 and joined the Army a year later. He served for two years in Germany as a medic and ambulance driver. Fortunately, he never saw combat. He used to say the only fighting he saw was in the bars. However; his unit often provided emergency medical services to civilians in need since Germany was still recovering from the war.

After the Army, he came home intending to stay only a couple of weeks. He planned to travel, going around the country to catch up with his buddies from the Army. Before he could get out of town, he met a certain young lady who changed all his plans and his whole life. Her name was Elida Parra. She was from Corpus Christi and had only recently moved to San Antonio to take a new job. His Army buddies never saw him again because, about a year later, they were married. They were married 65 years and he absolutely adored her.

Before long there were four little boys running around the Robles household. He spent a lot of time with his boys doing lots of outdoor activities especially out on the family ranch. There were horses to ride, targets to shoot and hills to climb. He also took them swimming and fishing at the lakes and at the coast. Of course, it was not just fun all the time. He spent time teaching them about God and faith and how to be good men through hard work.

When he was young he was put to work in his father’s asphalt paving business. His father was a successful paving contractor. Roger learned the process and how to run the machines but as he got older he starting looking for other opportunities. After getting married and planning for a family he decided to try something different. He went into the car business selling used cars in the beginning but later moved up to new cars. He did well and ended up spending almost 40 years in the business working for many of the major dealerships in town. Most of that time was in sales but at different times he tried management, wholesaling and even briefly had his own car lot. Like most car salesman, he changed dealerships many times but late in his career he settled down and worked at Orsinger Buick for more than 15 years.

At a time when car salesmen had a terrible reputation, he did his best to treat people fairly and honestly, not overcharging or selling anyone anything they could not afford. Many times this got him in trouble with his bosses but he was proud of the reputation for honesty that he built over the years. That is why he stuck with Orsinger for so long. It was an honest place where he fit right in.

When he was a boy was very pious. He remembered learning his prayers from the nuns and was very close to God. As he grew up, as often happens, his faith waned. At around the age of 40 he began to feel a strong spiritual hunger and a desire to renew his faith. He searched and sought out spiritual direction in many different places. This eventually led to a great conversion experience that he would later call the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”.

He was led into the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and found his spiritual home. He was soon going from prayer meeting to prayer meeting, speaking in tongues and praising the Lord for everyone to hear. It was an amazing change in his life. He convinced his wife, Elida, to join him and she was soon speaking in tongues and praising the Lord as well. He committed himself to regular mass attendance, a daily prayer time and lots of Bible reading. Prayer meetings and other charismatic events became the focus of his life.

At one point he was invited to join in a Catholic jail ministry at Bexar County Jail. Not many were doing that kind of ministry at the time but he dove into it and found it deeply rewarding. He ministered to many prisoners and made a great difference in their lives. Some got out and became good citizens. He treasured the letters and sometimes even artwork some of the men sent him from jail even years later.

He and Elida got involved in a prayer group at St. Mary’s University and became leaders of the group. They made it a spiritual refuge for many people for many years. They looked to Roger as a spiritual leader they could trust. It became the center of their lives. They led that group for 35 years. He also served on the National Service Committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for a number of years which was a great honor for him.

When he was 62, after a long period of suffering from stomach pain, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent major surgery to remove a large tumor. There was a long and painful recovery time after the surgery. He received chemotherapy treatments for a year. He tried to keep working but the chemo took a lot of his strength and energy. However; the treatment was very successful. He never showed any sign of cancer again. Unfortunately, the whole experience forced him into an early retirement.

When he was about 80 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Over time his memory would fail in different ways and he would have delusions of various kinds. It made him home bound and he required a lot of personal care. This past July he suffered a stroke. Despite months of hospitalization, nursing and rehabilitation he never recovered.

VIEWINGWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 20239:30 AMST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH1602 THOUSAND OAKS DR

ROSARYWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 202310:00 AMST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH1602 THOUSAND OAKS DR

FUNERAL MASSWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 202310:30 AMST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH1602 THOUSAND OAKS DR

Procession and Interment will follow in the Robles Cemetery. Reception will follow at St. Mark the Evangelist.