Edward L. Mendez Sr.

Eduardo Lujano Mendez Sr., or “Eddie” as he was lovingly known, will always be remembered for his sense of humor, knack for storytelling, and willingness to lend a helping hand. A South San legend, Eddie was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas in 1951. As a teenager, he learned to work on cars, a talent he passed down to his son, Edward Jr. After high school, Eddie launched his mechanical career working on airplane engines for Gary Aircraft Corp. After the closure of Gary Aircraft, Eddie joined the City of San Antonio in February of 1975 as a shop attendant. He worked his way up, eventually becoming a fleet maintenance supervisor. On August 3, 1975, Eddie married his high school sweetheart, Elfida “Abby” Alvarado. They built their home on Vincent Street in November 1978 where they raised their two children.

Eddie lived a colorful life, and often found himself facing dangerous situations like Fiesta 1979. He was working downtown during the Battle of Flowers parade when a gunman opened fire on the crowd. As others fled, Eddie stayed to pull injured people to safety. Whether it was assistance at work or on the road, Eddie was usually the first person people called during an emergency. He was always roadside-ready and kept a toolkit nearby in case family or friends were left stranded by their vehicles. He could fire up any car with just a few magic touches.

After his retirement from the city in the 1990s, Eddie worked at Region 20, delivering educational equipment to schools in the greater San Antonio area. Soon after, he served the community as a school bus driver for South San Independent School District. In this role, he shuttled pregnant students to school, creating a safe space for young mothers who often sought his support and counsel. For a number of years he assisted in transporting students with special needs to school as well.

When Eddie wasn’t on the road, he could be found volunteering for community events like the Blue Santa program, where he helped collect and distribute Christmas presents to children. He also worked alongside at-risk youth, cleaning up graffiti around town.

Eddie was also a community advocate, dedicated to creating equal opportunities, keeping neighborhoods safe, and ensuring the accountability of the police department. He served on the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, participated in the inaugural class for the Civilian Police Academy, and frequently went on ride-alongs with SAPD officers. With his Nokia phone in hand, he joined the Cellular on Patrol program, a Bexar County initiative that encouraged local residents to report crime in the early days of cell phones.

Among his many accomplishments, Eddie was most proud of securing a headstone for his brother, Frank Lara Jr., at Fort Sam Houston. Frank went to training at Lackland Airforce Base and Eddie often snuck him out so he could visit their mother who lived nearby. Unfortunately, Frank drowned when he was still a young soldier. Frank’s body was never recovered and his service went unrecognized for several decades. After many phone calls, petitions, and letters, Eddie succeeded in his quest to honor his brother. Frank remained in Eddie’s heart throughout his life, even up to his last days.

Over the years, Eddie soaked up the sun on family trips to Mexico, South Padre Island, pilgrimages to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, and most notably to see his son graduate from St. Leo’s University in Tampa, Florida. In his retirement, Eddie enjoyed visits from his sisters, spending time with his cats Oreo and Camote, and dinners at Thai Dee with his extended family. When he and Abby weren't at home watching movies, they were listening to Oldies and cruising down Military Drive to pick up lunch from their favorite restaurants.

Aside from his automotive repair skills, Eddie was best known for his wicked sense of humor and ability to tell a story. His talkative personality put people at ease and created many lifelong friendships with a diverse community. Described by his adopted nieto Jacoby as “never boring,” Eddie loved to crack jokes and tell outrageous tales of his youth and days working for the city. If you are reading this, and knew Eddie even a little bit, you are probably smiling and recalling something funny he said. This is how he would like to be remembered.

Eddie Mendez Sr. crossed peacefully to his next adventure on January 21st, 2026. He is reunited with his brother Frank Lara Jr., father Augustine and mother Aurelia Zaragoza. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 50 years, Elfida “Abby” Mendez, son Edward A. Mendez Jr., and daughter Cristal Rose Mendez. Eddie also leaves behind his siblings Trinidad (Roman) Gonzales, Sylvia (Odie) Sanchez, Jesse Lara, numerous nieces and nephews, extended family, and many friends who he loved dearly.