Elias Juarez

He was born in Rio Hondo, Texas on April 11, 1950 to Benito and Ester Juarez. He was raised farming and in the family's business of Custom Combining and Harvesting.

He is preceded in death by both his parents, Benito and Ester Juarez; his oldest sister Noelia Escobar and her son Jason; and his younger brother Joel Juarez.

Elias completed the Basic Course for Law Enforcement officers in 1972 at the Rio Grande Valley Police Academy initiating his 42-year career as deputy with the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Department and later as a Detective with the Pharr Police Department.

In 1980 he joined the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission as an agent and was assigned to the Galveston District and later promoted to sergeant and assigned to an outpost of the McAllen District to oversee a nine-county area. He completed his time with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in the Galveston District. His service with the Dickinson Police Department began in 1994 as Patrolman followed by Field Training Officer, Jail Supervisor, Court Baliff, and Warrants Officer. He retired in 2016 after being diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.

Elias earned hundreds of hours of training and course studies related to law enforcement.

He received two Meritorious Service Awards from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; in 2005 he received his Master Peace Officer Certificate from the State of Texas; Senior Officer of the Year Award in 2006 from the Dickinson Police Department; he was ranked Sharpshooter and Police Expert by the National Rifle Association of America. He was a member of the Texas Gang Investigator Association and The Texas Marshall Association. In 1990 he received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States "in grateful recognition of unyielding adherence to the highest ideals of law enforcement in maintaining, preserving and protecting the lawful rights of citizens."

Our beloved Elias is survived by his wife of 48 years, Susan K. Schmidt and their two sons, Joaquin "Jake" Elias Juarez and Joshua Ethan Juarez; his twin sister, Ruth Juarez; his younger brother David and wife Vangie Juarez, his sister Belinda and husband Ernest Ybanez; his youngest sister Zulema Juarez; his sister-in-law Terri Juarez and two brothers-in-law, Joel Escobar and Brian Jennings and wife Vicki Payne and multiple nieces and nephews: James Daniel, Denise, Leon, Asenath, Rebecca, Sarah, Melissa, Deanna, Myra, Eliud, David Jacob, Ethan Josef, Elise, Erron, Ezekiel "Zeke", Christian, Isaac, Ben, Eliana, Preston, Landon, Seth, Rhema, Juliana, Xander, Miriam, Josiah, and Abigail.

Elias will be forever missed and will always be fondly remembered. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle and a very committed police officer who faithfully served his community with honor and integrity.

Elias spent the better part of his final year reading from the Bible and in prayer before losing his sight. His most important last words were from the Gospel of John 14:6 regarding what Jesus Christ said of Himself: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."