Hector attended Del Mar College, then Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. In San Marcos, he met and married Nora López, his wife of more than twenty years, and the mother of his three children. He also became a member of La Raza Unida Party, running for San Marcos city council as the Raza Unida candidate in 1973. After moving to Crystal City, Texas, he earned a Master of Education in Bilingual Education with a specialization in the urban child from Chicago State University while teaching elementary school during the Raza Unida “takeover” of the city’s school board and city council.
His true professional calling began for him after graduating from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston in 1980, practicing mostly criminal and family law in Houston’s Northside for forty years. With grace and compassion, Hector helped countless people through some of the most difficult times in their lives. His activism also continued after he became a lawyer, as a Lifetime Member of the Go Tejano Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship funds to high school students.
A Balli descendant, he also worked pro bono on a Balli family land-grant case, motivated by a sense of justice for the descendants. Finally, he was a founding member of the National Hispanic Professional Organization, which now has several chapters across the country. As a lawyer, activist, and friend, Hector was a true pillar of the community and will be missed by many.
Hector is survived by his wife, Norma Leticia Ramirez Cázares, his two sons Hector Jr. (Claudia) and Adrian (Ana), his daughter Liliana (Eduardo), his four grandchildren, his brothers Gerald and Charles, and many nieces and nephews.
All services for Hector will be held Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Brookside Funeral Home, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039. Visitation will occur from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, Funeral Service will occur from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, and final Committal Service from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at Brookside Memorial Park, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brooksidefuneralhomelauder.com for the Chavana family.
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