Carlos Silva Mena

Carlos Mena was born May 22, 1948, and passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 74 years old. Carlos was born at home outside of Los Angeles, California, to Graciela Silva and Juan Ricardo Mena, and was the oldest of 20 children. He is survived by his wife Judith, his children Eric, Chelsea, and Matthew, his 16 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Judy and Carlos met at 15 and 18 years old respectively, at a restaurant here in San Antonio where Carlos had been working. What followed was 4 years of dating, 51 years of marriage and a lifetime of love and happiness. His life is a testament to what a devoted man to faith and family he was.

Carlos and his wife started with nothing, going so far as to sell their wedding gifts, and would eventually go on to be successful investors. Carlos highest level of education was 3rd grade, so while he maintained their investment properties, Judith kept up with the books and finances. They complimented each other perfectly, Carlos doing what she could not, and Judith doing what he could not. They went to church every week and devoted their life together to each other. Carlos and Judith shared a love like no other.

Carlos always found a way to make money, from being a part of the Ringling Brothers Circus to mowing lawns, to learning how to fix air conditioners and plumbing issues. He loved to keep busy, always fixing something around the house or working on his lawn. At one point, Carlos owned a floor covering and carpet shop, then later a paint and body shop.

Carlos loved to travel with his wife and family, having been all over the world. He also had a deep love for cars. Carlos had a very impressive collection of die cast model cars, owned a Bentley Continental GT soft-top convertible, and had dreams of eventually owning his very own Ghost edition Rolls Royce. He was the kind of man that would figure out how to do something just so you wouldn’t have to do it yourself. He truly believed in helping everyone around him and made everyone feel like they were a part of his family. Carlos always had the most infectious smile on his face and lit up a room as soon as he walked in the door. There is no one word to describe the type of man that he was.

The family will receive friends for visitation at Porter Loring Mortuary North on Sunday, May 7, 2023, beginning at 5:30 PM. A celebration of life will follow, starting at 6:30 PM, and Reverend Ruben Garcia will pray the Rosary starting at 7:00 PM.