Refugio Manuel Sermeño

Mr. Refugio Manuel Sermeño (Manny) died peacefully on June 1, 2020 at the age of 85. He passed away surrounded by his beloved children and grandchildren in the home where they were raised. He is preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Guadalupe “Lupita” Doblado Sermeño who passed in 2012. He was born to his father Manuel Sermeño and mother Socorro Vargas on July 4, 1934, being the third of five children. Manny is survived by his four children; Socorro, Elizabeth, Manuel Jr. and Robert. He has eight grandchildren, Vincent, Joseph and Erik Dominguez, Joshua, Isaiah and Zachary Pulido, and Lauren and Christian Sermeño. His grandchildren were his greatest joy! He lavished them with attention, covered his walls with their pictures, blessed them with beautiful lifetime memories, and encouraged them to never give up.

He married his sweetheart Lupita in 1960 after dating since their teenage years. Mr. Sermeno was a self-made business man who did not have the opportunity of a formal education; however, through his extreme hard work ethic, he overcame immense challenges throughout his life. Because his parents died young, he started working at the age of 11 to provide for his family. He sold ice cream bars, worked in a school cafeteria, was an auto mechanic at Nance Buick, owned a body shop with his children, and became a Notary Public for the State of Texas. It was here that he helped countless undocumented immigrants become naturalized U.S. Citizens. His humble family office grew to become a fully incorporated business, sustaining 8 full time employees for many years. Despite challenging life experiences, he learned to appreciate the relationship he shared with his family. He was a generous loving man who was highly intelligent and known for his thunderous laughter. Grandpa Manny always encouraged his family to pursue their goals and set the bar high. “Go for it, you can do it!” were his favorite words of encouragement. Over the span of his life, Mr. Sermeño inspired his four children to peruse their dreams. Socorro obtained a Masters in Business and Licensed Masters of Social Work. Elizabeth has a Business Administration double degree in finance and marketing. Manny Jr. became a Licensed Insurance Professional and runs his Agency, and Robert, is a Telecommunications Sales Rep. His grandchildren have also achieved incredible accolades, with Vincent Dominguez achieving a Doctorate of Musical Arts DMA, Lauren Sermeño attaining her B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Chemical Engineering, and Joshua Pulido earning a B.C.M. in Digital Filmmaking. He also had two nieces and a nephew who saw him as a father figure: Charlie Alday, who is a school principal, Loretta Alday who works in Business Administration and Melissa Alday who earned her Masters in Education.

We will forever cherish his advice, his loud contagious laughter, and his big heart through the countless memories he created with us. We will miss you forever! A Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2020 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home with a Prayer Service at 7 p.m. Graveside Service will be held on Monday, June 8, 2020 at 11:30am at Evergreen Cemetery Alameda, 4301 Alameda Ave. Services entrusted to Hillcrest Funeral Home 1060 N. Carolina Dr. El Paso, TX 915-598-3332 a “Dignity” Memorial Provider.