Raul Iruegas

Raul Iruegas went home to our Lord on February 7, 2016 in San Antonio. He was born on July 21, 1933 in Laredo, Texas to Maria Ignácia (Perez) and José Raul Iruegas. He attended Laredo Martin High School and graduated in 1951 as the Captain of the R.O.T.C. After serving his country in the Korean War on the Battleship U.S.S. Iowa, he came home and attended Draughon's Business College in San Antonio. He met a young lady at school, who thought his last name was spelled with a "U". He informed her that his last name was spelled with an "I". The noted early 20th-century historian, Herbert Eugene Bolton, explained that Tejanos with the surname Iruegas sometimes spelled their last name with a "U", "Y", or an "I" and they have a shared history going back to the 1700s in Spanish Tejas. Raul married that young lady, Maria del Carmen Ibarra, in Uvalde on July 21, 1957 (on his birthday) after his parents traveled from Laredo to Uvalde to ask for her hand in marriage, according to Spanish customs. Raul founded SARRCO Construction and he was a successful builder in San Antonio for 43 years until his retirement in 2006. He built numerous private residences and commercial buildings. He graduated from the business school back in 1956 and went on to earn his Bachelor's Degree from the Spanish Bible Institute in 1983. Raul was generous with his wealth and time doing free tax work for family and compadres and often doing church projects pro-bono. Raul belonged to the American Legion Post 479 in Uvalde, and he was a member of the Bexareños Genealogical & Historical Society in San Antonio.
He is survived by: his wife of 59 years; his son Sergio Arturo Iruegas and wife Melinda Tate Iruegas and his grandchildren, Rowan, Logan, and Kiera Iruegas of San Antonio; his daughter Isela Iris Iruegas and step-granddaughter Vivienne Marie Olvera also of San Antonio; his brothers Gilberto Iruegas of San Antonio, Enrique Iruegas and wife Helen of Henderson, Kentucky; and sisters Olivia Perez and husband Juan from Tucson, Arizona, and Gloria Iruegas of Uvalde, and numerous nieces and nephews. Raul joins his son, Raul Ricardo Iruegas, his brothers Arturo, Jose (Pepe), Leopoldo Iruegas and sister-in-law Rachel Iruegas, and brother's-in-law Valeriano (Bowie) and Telesforo (Pepelo) Ibarra, who preceded him in the loving arms of our Lord.
Raul and four of his brothers were all in the Navy and served during the Korean Conflict and Vietnam. The Iruegas brothers fulfilled their family's military tradition that goes back to Iruegas' being assigned to the Spanish Missions in San Antonio, La Bahia and East Texas as captains, sergeants, and soldiers.
Rosary was recited at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary on Thursday, February 11, 2016, at 7pm. The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated at Sacred Heart Church on Friday, February 12, 2016, at 10 am. Interment was at the Catholic Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Raul's son Sergio Iruegas and grandson's Rowan and Logan Iruegas, nephews, Uvalde Deputy Sheriff, Gilbert Ibarra, Ricardo Perez of San Antonio, and David Perez of Austin, Texas.

Visitation

RushingEstesKnowles Mortuary
220 S. Getty St.
Uvalde, TX  78801
Thursday, February 11, 2016
4:00 pm

Service

Funeral Mass

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
408 Ft. Clark Rd.
Uvalde, TX  78801
Friday, February 12, 2016
10:00 am

Rosary

RushingEstesKnowles Mortuary
220 S. Getty St.
Uvalde, TX  78801
Thursday, February 11, 2016
7:00 pm

Cemetery

Uvalde Catholic Cemetery
Hwy 90 West
Uvalde, TX  78801