Raul "Uncle Baby" Valdez

Born January 10, 1932, in San Antonio Texas to Frank and Filomena Valdez. He was one of 7 children growing up in Losoya just 18 miles south of downtown San Antonio.

The family moved into the city where Raul eventually attended Fox Tech High School where he played football and basketball. He excelled on the football field. Fox Tech played the Jefferson Mustangs on November 11, 1949, with a record setting 26,000 fans packing Alamo Stadium to watch the game of the year. Jefferson went on to win the State Championship that year. Though Fox Tech lost 20-13, Raul earned Dallas Morning News award of “Best Back of the Week” in the State of Texas. He was offered a football scholarship to Oklahoma University which he accepted.

Raul became homesick and returned home a few months later and began to plan his future with his high school sweetheart. He was called up to serve in the Air Force in 1951 and was honorably discharged in 1953. He went back to school in the Fall of 1953 and graduated from St. Mary’s University in 1956 with a degree in accounting and a minor in personnel management.

Raul’s career in Civil Service began immediately out of college:

Auditor/Senior Auditor – Fort Sam Houston – 1956-1960

Contracting Officer & Contract Negotiator – Kelly AFB – 1960-1968

Personnel Management to Chief, Personnel Management – Kelly AFB – 1968-1976

Director of Civilian Personnel – Kelly AFB – 1976-1978 – As Chief of the Civilian Personnel Office, the largest industrial complex in the Southwest with 16K-20K civilian employees, provided staff leadership in short- and long-range planning and development. Supervised 6 section chiefs in directing 200 employees of the Directorate.

Through delegation from the San Antonio ALC Commander personally administered Labor Relations Program served as a member of the US Civil Service Board of Examiners, the Community Affairs Council, San Antonio ALC Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, Equal Employment Officer for the Activity Civil Affairs Council; served as the alternate member to the Director on the Budget Review and Financial Committee, San Antonio ALC Civilian Employment and Cost Management Committee as well as the Real Property Resource Review Board. Also served as Executive Member of San Antonio ALC Incentive Awards Committee and as Chairman of the Career Program Committee. As Equal Employment Opportunity Officer was responsible to the Commander for developing and implementing and maintaining an affirmative action program for San Antonio ALC. Prepared reports of positive action and released information to the work force and the community.

HUD – Director of Employee-Labor Relations - US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C. – 1978-1979. He served as principal advisor to the Director of Personnel on matters relating Labor Management of 16K employees throughout the United States.

HUD – Deputy Area Manager – US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Los Angeles, CA – 1979-1980. He was responsible for Southern California and Arizona urban housing development and revitalizing urban areas with affordable housing.

He retired in 1980 and began consulting on Personnel Management with US Civil Service Commission and conducting courses on Personnel Management (behavioral science) to federal employees at the executive level as well as subordinate employees.

Raul became a partner in LRC Associates that brought housing development in rural areas. Assisted individuals and private firms in obtaining funds through financial institutions and the federal government for construction purposes.

He loved to volunteer his time with his community and was involved with the following organizations; San Antonio Personnel Management Association, IMAGE (Involvement of Mexican Americans in Government), American G.I. Forum of the United States, and Civil Service Commission – City of San Antonio – Served on Committee as a member as well as the Chairman.

He loved his Dallas Cowboys; San Antonio Spurs and he devoted a lot of his time in his kids’ activities from coaching to encouraging all his kids to do their best. He always volunteered to help in whatever capacity was needed from Little League to Babe Ruth baseball. Coaching, chalking the field, purchasing uniforms and equipment and scheduling help for the concession stands and score keepers. Volunteering was a duty back in his early days and was not optional like it is today.

He loved Sports and he really loved his golf, especially his golf buddies that are too numerous to name. He had many lifelong childhood friends, and he is one of the last of his many friends. He had a wicked sense of humor. He had a big smile. He believed strongly in his Hispanic Heritage, and he loved to speak in Spanish when he had the opportunity, and he took pride in being bilingual. He truly believed in our Lord, and he made friends with total strangers at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

Raul loved to travel and especially loved to camp out at the coast. Oh, and he believed in roughing it while camping. Every family member has more than a couple of stories about coastal camping adventures.

More than anything else he loved his grandchildren. When he really decided to retire, he enjoyed seeing them and nothing brought a smile to his face more than those kids and of course, dessert.

He is survived his loving family; Mary Louise Valdez his wife of 21 years, his children, Greg and wife Shelley and their children Sophie and Brooks of San Antonio, Fred and wife Melanie and their children Nicholas and Ali of New Braunfels, Alicia and husband Sam Hill and their children Ruby and Lily of Waialua, Hawaii, and Christine and husband Marc and their daughters Frankie and Evie of El Segundo, California.

Raul is the last of 7 siblings – Frances Valdez Guzman, Aurora Fernandez, Connie Castillo, Richard, Eddie and Roland Valdez. They will always be loved and deeply missed….

Family will be receiving guests for Raul on Monday, May 16, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Sunset North Funeral Home, 910 N Loop 1604 E., San Antonio, Texas 78232. A funeral service will occur Monday, May 16, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with a reception to follow from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM. The committal service with military honors will occur Monday, May 16, 2022 from 2:15 PM to 2:45 PM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, TX 78234.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.SunsetNorthFuneralHome.com for the Valdez family.