Ignacio Rodriguez Canales Jr.

Ignacio Rodriguez Canales, Jr. was born March 23, 1938 in Pasadena, TX to Ignacio L. Canales, Sr. and Margarita Rodriguez Canales. Ignacio was called home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 14, 2022 surrounded by family at his home in Katy, TX.

Ignacio proudly served his country in the United States Army. He first enlisted in January 1957 and completed basic training at Fort Carson. After basic training, Ignacio was first stationed in Germany providing border patrol along the East and West German border. After a brief break in service, Ignacio reenlisted in September 1962 and was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. Shortly after, Ignacio was deployed to Vietnam and served as a helicopter door gunner on the CH 21s where he earned the Air Medal along with many other citations. Specialist Canales was honorably discharged from the United States Army Reserve in 1971.

In the mid 1960s, he continued serving his country by being a letter carrier for the US Postal Service until his retirement. He met two of his best life long friends, Richard Everett and Simon Cruz, on his first day of work out of the Park Place station delivering mail out of Richard’s car.

Josephine and Ignacio were classmates in elementary, junior high and at Milby High School in Houston, TX. It was after Ignacio returned home from Vietnam when their love story really began. In 1967 both Josephine and Ignacio were invited to dinner at the home of mutual friends - Simon and Ida Cruz. There is where they really got to know each other and the rest, as they say, is history. They were married on May 24, 1975 at Park Place Baptist Church. Ignacio was so happy with the birth of his daughter, Margaret Amanda, on June 25, 1976.

Ignacio loved to bowl and made many life long friends in a neighborhood bowling league called "Palms N Magnolia". A life long baseball fan, he loved Houston baseball from the original Houston Buffs to the Houston Astros. He shared his love of “America’s Game” with his son-in-law and his grandsons.

Ignacio is preceded in death by his father and mother Ignacio and Margarita Rodriguez Canales, his brother Vincent Canales, his wife Josephine Torres Canales, his Aunt Beatrice Garcia ("Mom"), his first grandson Tyler Matthew Woodard and numerous family members. He is survived by his daughter Margaret Amanda Canales Woodard (Matthew) of Katy, TX, his grandsons Ethan; Parker and Brady Woodard of Katy, TX, as well as numerous loving family members and friends.

Visitation will occur on June 30, 2022 beginning at 10:45 AM at American Heritage Funeral Home located at 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77038. A funeral service will commence at 11:45 AM with a committal service immediately following at 1 PM at Houston National Cemetery located at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77038.

The family appreciates everyone’s expressions of sympathy in the form of phone calls, text messages, cards, flowers and meals. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to The Micheal J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in Ignacio’s name at the following link:

https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tribute-page.php?id=2367&np=true