George Isaac Salinas, 70, of South Houston, Texas passed away in his home at 2:31 p.m. on November 18th, 2018, right after the Houston Texans kicked the game winning field goal against the Washington Redskins. George was ill with cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. He knew his time was near and his only wish was to be with family during this time. This request was honored by his loving family until his very last breath and journey home to the lord began.
George was born in Raymondville, Texas on October 2, 1948. He is survived by his children Sammy, Steve (Spouse Monica) and Tina (Spouse Joshua) and their mother Pilar. He was one of eight children pre-deceased by his parents Isaac and Paula Vega Salinas as well as his brothers Eddie, Juan, and Richard Salinas as well as his loyal Pitbull Blue. He is survived by his sisters Carmen, Rosa, Irene, Becky and Sylvia, and brothers Bobby, Rene and Noe. George’s pride and joy were his six grand-children, Angela, Raquel, Jordan, Xavier, Dimitri and his “Queen” Yazmeen. Also surviving George was his beloved fiancée and best friend Ellie and her family. George was a blessed man and loved by many. His heart was full of love for all of those in his life, past and present near and far including the numerous family members throughout the state of Texas.
In the early years George was one of eight children who traveled through Texas as migrant farm workers along with his parents. Upon adulthood he became a lifetime member of the District Council 88, Painter’s Local Union 130. He was a member for 27 years. He spent most of his career as an industrial painter and sandblaster. He traveled from Rhode Island, Connecticut, California and as far as the Amazons of Quito, Ecuador for work painting tanks in refineries, high elevated bridges, and he even had a hand in painting the George R. Brown Convention Center here in Houston.
Our father was friendly to everyone and always generous. He was a transparent man and was never shy about speaking his mind. Back in the day he was a loyal Houston Oilers fan and later an avid Houston Texans fan and he was lucky in winning football pots. He loved his Texans and you would often see him sporting his Texans gear on game day and frankly, every other day of the week including his final day on earth. He was a sharp dresser; his go to shoes were Stacy Adams. Even in the days when his illness progressed and it was difficult for him to walk due to swollen feet, he insisted on wearing his Stacy Adams and pressed jeans. His jeans were so starched they could stand on their own. He never left the house without his Ray-Ban sun-glasses and his shot-gun cane. Even though his illness was unbearable, he never complained or let anyone know the extent of the pain, he continued to protect and shield his loved ones. The illness never stopped him from dressing sharp regardless of the cost to his comfort.
George was a family man; he liked to play dominos and was always up for a game of scrabble. He would often spend days learning new words from the scrabble dictionary preparing for his next opponent or to some his victims. He enjoyed classic cars and music of all eras. He loved to dance to music from the 50’s to the top hits of today. If music was playing you would often find him on the dance floor, dancing to his own beat. He loved to dance cumbia, the twist, and the occasional rock n’ roll. He was often referred to as the “Mexican James Brown”. In his later days his favorite pastimes were spending the afternoon watching movies on Netflix and spending time with family. He was always sure to attend family celebrations and never hesitated when asked to make his famous brisket. He loved making shrimp soup and his favorite dessert of all time was Pilar’s lemon meringue pie.
Our Father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, companion and beloved George will surely be missed. Our hearts are saddened by his loss, but our hearts remain full with the memories of his laughter, dancing, and his love.
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