Gilbert Jesus Chavez

Gil Chavez, passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2010, in San Antonio at his home. Gil was nationally known and beloved Hispanic civil rights leader. Gil's love for the youth and the poor and his unrelenting struggle for civil rights and justice are celebrated even to this day. His illustrious public service career began in 1960, in his home town of Phoenix, where as an elementary school teacher he quickly demonstrated an overarching desire to help poor students. Within a few years, in 1965, his drive, commitment and reputation catapulted him into an influential role, as Director of the Head Start Program, in Maricopa, Arizona. Two years later, Gil moved to the State of Washington to serve as Executive Director of the Migrant Farm Worker Education Program.

One of five children, raised by a single mother, Henrietta Bernal, Gil worked many jobs as a boy and boxed for a championship Golden Gloves title in Arizona. After an honorable stint with the US Air Force, he became an enthusiastic college student, earning three degrees in the field of education, culminating in a Masters Degree from Arizona State University in 1964. Later while working in the Washington, DC area he completed numerous graduate courses as part of a PhD program.

His federal government career spanned 35 years, in local, regional and national leadership positions in the field of education. Gil quickly rose to prominent positions as an educator at the departments of Labor and Education, in Washington. During his 32 years in Washington, he was an enormous presence in the Hispanic civil rights arena, working within the government itself and at the same time as a vigorous collaborator in civil rights organizations that were fighting barriers in government hiring of Latinos.

It is not an overstatement to say that Gil Chavez was a heroic figure in Washington. He earned a reputation for being outspoken and fearless wherever he saw injustice, regardless of which political party was in power. And yet, Gil was a happy warrior, able to make friends even from the opposition. He was one of the founders and an early president of IMAGE, Inc., a fair employment organization that brought lawsuits and pressure against agencies and officials with egregious records of discrimination. Gil was everywhere, and wherever he put his shoulder to the wheel, there were visible results. One of the highlights was his prompting Congressional hearings in 1973 to take into questionable hiring and promotion practices at four major federal departments which resulted in a Congressional rebuke against them and concrete plans on their part to overcome deficiencies that surfaced during the hearings. Gil was often quoted in Washington Post and Federal Times articles denouncing practices and records of various federal departments and agencies, and sometimes even the Administration in power. Rarely do career executives risk careers with the constant valor shown by Gil Chavez.

He returned to the Southwest in 1992, to serve as Regional Director of Community Relations Service, under the Department of Justice in Dallas, retiring in 1999, and shortly thereafter moving to San Antonio. He assisted the Census Bureau during the 2000 decennial census to help ensure an accurate count of Hispanics in Texas. During that time, he represented The National Council of La Raza in a community relations liaison role. Gil also worked briefly with several consulting firms as a marketing representative, assisting them to gain federal government sales.

Gil was an energetic supporter and promoter of the Boys Club organization in San Antonio and helped find sponsors for its annual Youth Banquets. Gil assisted many other local civic organizations, such as LULAC and the Hispanic community. A devout Catholic, one of the many roles that he cheerfully undertook was supporting community outreach efforts by the Church. Gil was a close friend and associate of Archbishop Patricio Flores, often serving as his driver and companion. They met in the mid-70s as founding members of the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund and continued for many years serving on its board of directors.

Gil is survived by his loving wife, Yolanda, who cared for him in their home during the last five years. They had two children, Stuart Chavez and wife Pat, Cristal Chavez Smith and husband Alex. He is also survived by three children from a previous marriage, Cynthia Chavez Lugo, Camille Bandin, and Michael Chavez; by his mother Henrietta Bernal; by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and by his brother, Waldo Bernal and sisters, Consuelo Chavez and Magda Broderick. The family requests that in lieu of flowers to please consider sending a donation to A. MCD Health Care Hospice, 4903 Golden Quail, Ste. 110, San Antonio, Texas 78240 or the Boys Club of America, 600 SW 19th Street, San Antonio, Texas, 78207.

MEMORIAL ROSARY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

7:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

MEMORIAL MASS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2010

1:00 P.M.

HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH