Hector John Romero

John was born September 10, 1930 to Blas Romero and Rosa Calzada in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, where he lived the first 39 years of his life. He was a Korean War veteran, and a Purple Heart recipient. In 1969, he moved with his family to Maryland, where he lived until recently relocating to Dallas. During his career, he worked for several entities as an accountant, the final being the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC.

John was an avid golfer, which he picked up like so many of his generation working as a caddie, he at the Berwind Country Club, where he caddied alongside Chi Chi Rodriguez, who later played on the PGA tour. He joined the National Guard in 1948, and was in the Panama Canal Zone to work as an assistant at the military golf course when the Korean War broke out, where he served for one year before sustaining serious injury, which resulted in the loss of his right eye. Although he never played as he had before his injuries, he still was able to hold a single-digit handicap late into his golfing life, which included 5 holes-in-one, rounds in the 60s, and shooting 1 stroke over his age in consecutive years in his early 70s.

John also had a lifelong love of horse racing, starting as a young boy in Puerto Rico watching the thoroughbreds at the "El Comandante" racetrack, and continuing in Maryland as he lived 2 miles from the Laurel race track. In the 1980s, he and some fellow golfers pooled their resources and, over the years, bought race horses that ran in the Maryland horse racing circuit. Although the horses did not prove to be a good financial investment, it brought him great joy to be involved in a sport he loved.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Connie Romero of Dallas; one son, Jaime “Jim” Romero and his wife Priscilla of Dallas; one daughter, Diana Lamolinara and her husband Vince of Prince Frederick, Maryland; one sister, Blanca Romero of Puerto Rico; six grandchildren Alex Lamolinara and his wife Angie, Nicholas Lamolinara, Franco Lamolinara, Dana Lamolinara, John Lewis Romero, Marc David Romero and one great-grandson, Lorenzo Lamolinara.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, you make a contribution in John's name to your church or favorite charity.