Carlos Trevino Sr.

Carlos Treviño Sr. 85, was born March 9, 1938 and passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Carlos was born in Rio Grande City, Texas. His family left Texas in 1955 and became a family of migrant workers and traveled and worked in numerous states including Idaho, Arizona, Mississippi and Oregon until finally settling down in Washington State.

His experience as a migrant worker is what contributed to his commitment to civil rights and social issues. In 1968 Carlos joined a group called the Brown Berets, which was an organization that worked for numerous issues including, educational reform, farm workers rights and police brutality. In 1969 Carlos met Cesar Chavez while working security for him at one of his visits to Washington State. It was during this visit that Cesar and Carlos started to discuss the UFW. Cesar began asking Carlos what he was doing with the Brown Berets and when Carlos explained, Cesar said those are all really good things but you should organize the workers, because with good employment security, comes power. Once you have that, everything will follow, education, housing, medical, everything. That began Carlos’ dedication to defending the rights of the farm workers in Washington State and California on behalf Cesar Chavez and the UFW for many years.

Despite not graduating from high school, as an adult he decided to get his GED to pursue his education and was accepted by the University of Washington where he stayed on the deans list till he graduated with a BA in Political Science in 1974.

During his time at the University of Washington that didn’t stop his involvement in the UFW. Carlos spent weekends dedicated to boycotting and having strikes in Seattle, Yakima or wherever it was needed.

In 1969, he met the love of his life, Lillian Hinojosa at a community event. In the pursuit of getting to know each other better they went on many adventures together including family camping trips, hiking the mountains and trips to the ocean as well boycotting for the UFW.

In December 1974 they were married in a small apartment in Seattle. They went on to have three wonderful children together, Soledad, Carlos Jr. and Jacinto.

In 1987 Carlos and Lillian bought a 65 acre farm outside of Granger with Concord grapes, alfalfa and asparagus with the idea of creating a family farm that the whole family could help cultivate, and that is exactly what they did. Carlos retired from his farm in 2006.

When Carlos wasn’t discussing politics or Bigfoot, he was listening to music or in his gym working out, which he had done all his life or spending time with his tight knit family and his fur babies Pee Wee, Penny and Cairo.

His granddaughter Delilah was his whole heart and the light of his life. He loved being a grandfather and was very proud of his children. He instilled in his children the importance of family, compassion, equality and to stand up for those that are unable to stand up for themselves. One thing Carlos said he valued most was the difference he made in the farm workers plight.

The Treviño Family deeply appreciates all of the compassion, dignity and care provided to Carlos by the nurses and aides at MultiCare Hospital. Most special thanks to Amber, Allison, Bri, Jared and Lazarus.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Lillian Treviño, his parents, Jesus and Matilda Treviño, his parent in-laws, Oscar and Alicia Hinojosa. His sister Mary Villanueva and brother Roberto Treviño and grandson Jericho. He is survived by his children Soledad (Anthony Ray), Carlos Jr. (Bellicia Hernandez), Jacinto (Marlee Elliott) and granddaughter Delilah, all of Yakima. He is also survived by his sister Yolonda Guizar (Sr. Guizar) as well as numerous nieces and nephews that he loved like his own children.

Viewing at Keith and Keith Funeral Home, 902 W. Yakima Avenue, in Yakima is scheduled for Thursday, June 8, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Rosary recitation is set for 5:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial is Friday, June 9. 2023 at 10:00 a.m at St. Paul Cathedral, 15 S. 12th Avenue, Yakima, WA.