Benito Hidalgo

Benito Hidalgo Jr. of Uvalde passed away on October 18, 2021, at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio at the age of 84, after a brief battle with cancer. He was born on April 16, 1937 in Uvalde to Benito Hidalgo and Leonor Chapoy. Even though his passing was unexpected, the memories of his caring and fun-loving spirit will forever be cherished by his family and so many others in our community.

He attended Sacred Heart School when he was young and he made a big impression on the Teresian Sisters who served as his instructors. Upon graduation, he served for 6 years in the United States Army. He was stationed for some time in Anchorage, Alaska, and completed a tour in Korea. When he returned from serving his country, he worked as a projectionist for the El Tejas Theater and the El Lasso Theater.

Ben was a devout Catholic and attended daily mass as well as a mass on Saturday evenings. He believed in giving and volunteering his time to his beloved church and one example of this was helping the annual church festival for over 30 years.

He also served his community by serving as a board member for the Community Council of Southwest Texas, the city of Uvalde Board of Adjustments, and as a school board member for UCISD. He was also an independent contractor for Sears, Sherwin Williams, and Edward’s Furniture as a floor mechanic.

His family was the most important thing in his life and he dearly loved his grandchildren. He also enjoyed spending his time outdoors at Garapata Bluff fishing, barbequing, and filling up the numerous bird feeders.

There were times that he came across as being stern and intimidating, but if you were lucky enough to get to know him, you quickly realized that his sense of humor and his compassion for others had no bounds.

He is survived by his sons, Richard Hidalgo of Uvalde and Daniel Hidalgo and wife, Brenda of San Antonio; sister, Janice Estrada and husband, Gus of Uvalde; brother, Frank Hidalgo of Uvalde; grandchildren, Amanda Hidalgo and Ricardo Benjamin Hidalgo; companion, Mary Alice Gonzales; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Dora Davis Hidalgo; sister, Elida Gonzales, and brothers, Richard Lara and Arnold Lara. Visitation will begin on Monday, at 12:00 p.m., followed by a rosary at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary at 7:00 p.m.  A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  Interment will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Albert Ibarra, Rudy Vasquez, Kaleb Estrada, Richard Lara, Frank Cordova, Mario Gonzales and Sergio Porras.

Honorary pallbearers will be Gus Estrada, Rojelio Cardona, Martin Ibarra, Antonio Vela, Augustin De La Cerda, George Garza and Tommy Luna.

In lieu of flowers, send donations to Sacred Heart Catholic School. 401 W. Leona St., Uvalde, TX 78801