Angel F. Jimenez

Angel F. Jimenez, fondly known as “Angie,” passed away on the 9th of September, 2023 in Houston, TX at the age of 92. Angie was a native of Argentina who immigrated to the United States in 1955, moving from New York City to Houston in 1965. Prior to his move to the U.S., he attended the “Liceo Militar General San Martin” military school in Buenos Aires, graduating as a second lieutenant in the mechanized cavalry. He also attended law school in Buenos Aires.

He entered the international shipping industry in New York, which he continued in Houston, founding his own company, McLean Cargo in 1970. Angie and his wife Ursula built it into a successful business, which was classified as one of the largest minority-owned U.S. companies. He worked in 46 countries worldwide and established several offices overseas before selling the company in 2008.

Angie was a generous and compassionate person, always looking for ways to provide for those in need. As a successful business entrepreneur and extrovert, he was able to combine his leadership, business and people skills and dedicate those talents to serve others through various organizations.

He was a long-time member and active participant of the “Casa Argentina” in Houston and also a member of the Rotary Club of Houston (RCOH) since 2002, becoming Houston Rotary’s Centennial President when the club celebrated its 100th anniversary (1912-2012). He was also the International Chair for Rotary District 5890 and in 2018 became a Founding Charter Member of the Downtown Rotary Club of Houston where he remained active until his death.

Drawing upon his international shipping experience and his desire for “Service Above Self,” Angie led and participated in many international projects all over the world, too many to list them all here. He joined and became the COO of The Second Wind Foundation, dedicated to the “Rotary Books for the World” project. Since the start of the “Rotary Books for the World,” hundreds of ocean-freight containers have been shipped to Africa and other countries in partnership with local Rotarians.

Angie served on the board of directors of Medical Bridges; a Houston-based charity dedicated to shipping donated medical equipment worldwide. In partnership with the “Casa Argentina” in Houston and Rotary clubs in his native Argentina, he provided over 14 containers and other shipments of medical materials, valued at over $1,000,000 each to the needy throughout that country. He also participated in Project C.U.R.E, the world's largest distributor of donated medical equipment and supplies to resource-limited communities across the globe, touching the lives of patients, families and children in more than 135 countries.

An avid reader with a passionate interest in printing, Angie served as Director and later as Chairman of the Board of the Museum of Printing History of Houston. During that time, he collected hundreds of typewriters that dated from 1800 to 1960.

Angie was also passionate about the history of Rotary International. He had an almost complete collection of the books of the Rotary conventions over the years as well as a great deal of Rotary memorabilia. As a Paul Harris Fellow (Major Donor Level of $25,000+), one of his prized items is a book with the dedication and signature of Paul Harris, the Founder of Rotary International.

In addition to the “public Angie”, everyone knew and loved, “family” was very important to the “private Angie.” His office contained a large amount of extended “old” family photos which he hoped to organize in order to preserve his family heritage. He was devoted to his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, supporting, celebrating and encouraging the accomplishment of their own goals and dreams in whatever way he could.

Angie is preceded in death by his parents, Manuel and Antonia Jimenez; his brothers Antonio and Manuel; his son Federico “Cas” Casanova; and his wife of 50 years, Ursula Kunze Jimenez. He is survived by his daughters Susan Jimenez Linke and her husband, Scott, Andrea Jimenez and Andrea Bauer (Michael Falls); his brother Jorge and his wife, Maria Del Carmen; his grandchildren, Samantha Linke, Michael Linke, Andrea Linke, Kyle Linke, Alexander “Alex” Tucker, Elena Tucker, Hayden Hulings and Brandon Hulings; 11 great-grandchildren; and 3 nieces, Florencia, Patricia and Carolina.

The memorial service will be conducted at four o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 17th of September, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Angie during a reception to be held following the service in the adjacent grand foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrance, and for those desiring, the family requests with gratitude that contributions in memory of Angie be sent to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center P.O. Box 4486 Houston, Texas 77210-4486 or the Downtown Rotary Club of Houston, 9333 Memorial Dr APT 301, Houston, TX 77024