Arturo V Villarreal

Arturo was a loving and disciplined servant of Christ. He was selfless and a legacy of service to others. He gifted his energy, his time and his talents to the people he loved most, his loving wife, his family, his brother and sisters, along with his community. Arturo was determined to leave the world better than he found it. Arturo was a father to all who entered his life.

He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on September 24, 1927. Arturo graduated from Del Mar College and received a Vocational Skill Certificate in Welding. He was a World War II Veteran serving the United States Army.

He was married to Manuela S. Villarreal on August 13, 1950.

Arturo had a career as a First Class Welder for Reynolds Metals Company (36 years).

He was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church and had a passion for fishing, camping, cooking and enjoying time with family.

He is survived by his loving wife Manuela S. Villarreal of 73 years. Children: Anna M. Villarreal, Arturo Villarreal Jr., Lucia Villarreal, Daniel Villarreal, Imelda (Noe) Castillo, Amada Alicia (Paul) Beaudoin, Grace (Joe) Peña.

Grandchildren: Patricia A. Salinas, Gilbert J. Silvas III, Noe (Daniezka) Castillo Jr., Jeanette Silvas S., Lorissa (Jody) Crisp, Priscilla C. Peña, Isaac D. Peña, Julian Morales, Leonor (Josh) Medina, and Beatrice Morales, Mia Beaudoin.

Great Grand-children: Daniella Castillo, Diego Castillo, Robert Saldaña II, Alonzo Saldaña, Stella Thumann-Peña, Seth Crisp, Samuel Crisp, and Shiloh Crisp.

Sister: Julia (Raymond) Hinojosa.

Preceded in death: Father: Jesus Villarreal, Mother: Lilly V. Villarreal, Siblings: Mary (Raul) Barrera, Dora (Gus) Blomquist, Beatrice (Robert) Chacon, Lydia (Guadalupe) Gutierrez, Rita (Rey) Perez, Jesus (Esther) Villarreal. Daughter-In-Law: Eva Morales.

We would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and their time shared with our loving Dad, Arturo V. Villarreal. God Bless You.

A visitation for Arturo will be held Tuesday, June 4, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM at Funeraria Del Angel Everhart, 4901 Everhart Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78415 with the Recitation of The Holy Rosary at 7:00 PM The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Christ The King Catholic Church, located at 3423 Rojo St., Corpus Christi, TX 78415 with committal service to follow at Seaside Memorial Park, 4357 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412.

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Mrs. Manuela S. Villarreal is celebrating the legacy of her loving husband Arturo V Villarreal.

They each have a rich history with the community of Corpus Christi. In 1927, Arturo Villarreal Villarreal was born and raised in the city of Corpus Christi, Texas. His life went on normally working at his grandfather’s corner store until 1941 when World War II began. At the start of the war, Arturo worked as a Western Union telegraph delivery boy. He shares that delivering the telegrams was emotionally intense because they informed families of casualties of war. Soon he was recruited to learn how to weld. One day a tall man dressed in a uniform asked for a shoeshine. While Arturo buffed, the man offered Arturo an opportunity to help win the war by building battleships in Galveston, Texas. Within nine months, a fifteen-year-old Arturo joined thousands in Galveston welding massive aircraft carriers. Always supporting his mother and seven siblings, he sent home every dollar he made. In 1946, he joined and served in the United States Army Air Corps and earned the WWII Victory Medal. Later, Arturo attended Del Mar College to earn his Associates in Applied Science Degree using the GI Forum by Dr. Hector P. Garcia. After graduating from Del Mar, Arturo gained employment at Reynolds Metal Company as a first-class welder working there until he retired 36 years later.

Manuela Zapata Segovia was born in 1927 in Falfurrias,Texas, on a dairy farm that produced fresh butter.

Eventually, the Segovia family moved to Chapman Ranch for a few years to pick cotton. When Manuela was 13, her family relocated to Corpus Christi. She worked hard to teach herself to read, write, and speak English.

Manuela recalls when she turned sixteen, she started to work at Spohn Hospital. While working, Manuela

overcame racial boundaries with encouragement from the hospital administrator who said that the newly

instituted nursing program needed exemplary intelligent participants like her. Manuela reflects how nervous she was that English was her second language, but she was determined to overcome her fears. Being eager to build on her education, she attended Del Mar College where she was one of the first to earn the Practical Nursing Certification from the college.

Once the war ended, Tina Mireles, a mutual friend of both Arturo and Manuela, encouraged her for months to meet Arturo. Manuela finally agreed to meet Arturo for a blind date.

The favorite story Manuela and Arturo share is of the fateful night they first met in 1948. Manuela met Arturo with a group of friends who drove out to North Beach. As Manuela approached the truck packed with friends, Arturo was starstruck by her beauty and quiet confidence. Her starched white nurses’ uniform and shiny black wavy hair dazzled Arturo. Instantly, he knew his first move had to be strategic with this beautiful woman to ensure a forever relationship. Manuela thought, “Oh he is too handsome. He’s not going to like me.” (While telling the story, Arturo throws out his chest and exuberantly states that she, his Elizabeth Taylor, made him feel like John Wayne, his favorite movie actor.)

Manuela says when they arrived on the beach, she liked how they calmly sat on a driftwood log under a lamp post listening to the waves hit the shore. Arturo opened his palm and said he heard about palm reading and explained how each line revealed an aspect of life. He pointed to an extended line on his hand and said it promised a long life filled with adventures. Then, he pointed to another line and explained how it was the heart line, and it ran deep. Grabbing Manuela’s hand he slowly ran his finger along her palm and explained her heart line ran deeper than his. A deep heart line represents a strong devotion to love. This caught her attention.

While looking into Arturo’s eyes, she revealed that she had a strong devout faith and love of Christ. Sensing a profound connection, they both knew that their love, at first sight, was divine. For the next two years, they dated each other while they each took care of family concerns and responsibilities.

On Sunday, August 13, 1950, at 7:00 a.m. they united in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony in the presence of God and the congregation at St. Joseph Catholic Church which had just opened in July of that year, in Corpus Christi. Manuela humbly admits that while their wedding was not a three-day celebration as her mother’s in 1907, it was filled with family and friends dancing to the music of a rented jukebox while the kitchen bustled with sisters and friends making Mole and Pan De Polvo.

Their love grew as their family of seven grew. Arturo and Manuela not only raised a family; they also helped build the community at Christ the King Catholic Church in Corpus Christi. They volunteered for years teaching Sunday school, taking part in various parish organizations, and assisting with maintenance needs for the church and school. Manuela said, “Sometimes we would be shopping at H.E.B. when a young family would stop us and tell us we were their favorite Sunday school teachers. They would get so happy drinking the hot chocolate we’d bring on Sunday mornings and wearing the fish name tags Arturo made for each one. They would let us know that they are sending their children to Sunday school to complete their sacraments. Having a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother is most important.” Manuela also helped in the municipal community, for many years, she served as an election judge. She enjoyed relentlessly helping many people cast their vote by advocating and instructing them of the necessary process to vote.

Arturo and Manuela planned carefully to provide their children with outdoor adventures during extended

summer vacations where the family traveled across the United States from coast to coast. Many starry nights, Arturo captured the family’s imagination as he filled campfire evenings with fantastic reminiscent stories of times past. Climbing mountains, fishing, camping, hunting, touring museums, and historic sites created family traditions that live on for generations to come.

What is the secret to a loving marriage of 70 years? The couple shares that having God as the center of your marriage is key to a life long relationship. Arturo adds his personal secret to a joyous marriage is to take loving care of your wife, always being gentle, making sure she is comfortable and being by her side because she is the foundation of the family. Manuela shares that she loves being by her husband’s side even though it was not always easy. It was essential to remain together throughout each chapter of life because he is the source of strength that carried the family through with love, care, and joy. She also shares that Arturo always helped her with the children and took part in all aspects of raising the family.

Both at 96 years old, Arturo and Manuela shared 73 years of marriage.

We thank Jesus Christ for all his blessings.

Love, Mrs. Grace Villarreal Pena and Family