Manuel Longoria Obituary (1942 - 2022)

Master Sergeant Manuel Longoria, Jr., (80) passed away October 24, 2022 at McAllen Medical Center.Manuel (“Meme / Manny”) married his beloved Rose on March 17, 1959 in Clovis, New Mexico. He was a loving, supportive and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. He was blessed to be married for sixty-three years with a wife and family who adored him. Manuel was a career military man. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on October 7, 1960. Manuel and Rose lived as a young, newlywed couple in Clovis from 1960 to 1965 while he was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base. His three oldest children, Michael, Margaret and Maxine, were born during that time period. In 1963, Manuel experienced for the first time the hardship of being stationed away from home when he was sent to the Royal Iranian Air Base in Iran. As is typical with military families, Manuel and his young family moved frequently. In 1965 Manuel was stationed at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio. In February of that year, he was sent to Vietnam while his wife remained at home in San Antonio caring for their two young children and a five-month-old baby until Manuel’s return at Thanksgiving. In 1967 Manuel and his family moved to Germany when he was transferred to Hahn Air Force Base. During that same year Manuel was again stationed away from his family when he was sent to Takhli, Thailand for nearly a year. In 1970, the youngest of their children, Maria Sylvia was born. The family then returned to the United States in 1972 when Manuel was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. While stationed at Lackland, he was assigned to Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center where he worked as an Equal Opportunity and Treatment Counselor. In 1977 Manuel was sent to U-Tapao, Thailand for nearly a year. This was the last deployment Manuel served away from his family during his career in the U.S. Air Force. Manuel and his family then moved to his hometown of Mission, Texas in 1978 when Manuel became an Air Force Recruiter assigned to the Pharr, Texas location at El Centro Mall. Manuel was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force on August 31, 1981 after serving his country for twenty one years. Manuel excelled in his military career and earned many decorations, medals, badges and ribbons including the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, NCO Professional Military Education Ribbon, AF Longevity Service Ribbon with four bronze oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, AF Outstanding Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters with “V” device, AF Commendation Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, AF Good Conduct Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster, among many other military career accolades. In 1982, Manuel and Rose opened Jack and Jill Day Care behind their home in Mission and cared for countless children until 1990. He was known as Daddy Meme to many children in the community who are now in their 30s and 40s. During that same time period, Manuel continued to pursue his entrepreneurial interests when he, together with his co-owners, started up MCM Sporting Goods which continues to serve Mission and the surrounding areas. Manuel also worked at Clark Chevrolet in McAllen, as an ROTC Instructor at Harlingen CISD and as the Director of the McAllen Blood Bank in the mid to late eighties. In 1987 Manuel pursued a second career serving his country when he began working as an Immigration Inspector with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). He truly loved this second career and the many friends and brothers he made during his service. He retired from INS in 2003 after 16 years of service. In total, Manuel spent 37 years serving his country. He is a true hero. Manuel was a man of faith. He and his wife raised their children in the church. Manuel loved to sing and could often be heard singing loudly to the church hymns. He treasured his family and was so proud of all his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. His kids and family were his life. He was always ready to attend softball games, showings at the Livestock Show, school banquets, football games, wrestling matches, impromptu road trips or whatever other interests his children and grandchildren were pursuing. Manuel surrounded himself with family and instilled in them the importance of a strong, loving and supportive family. Manuel continued to live in Mission until his death.Manuel never met a stranger and had more “primos” than you can imagine. Manuel was a shining example of a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was generous to a fault and was a “give you the shirt off his back” kind of man. He had smiling eyes and loved life. He laughed easily. He loved to hunt and made it a family tradition. He had an adventurous spirit and ingrained the loved of road trips in his family. He loved to sing and play the guitar. He had an amazing singing voice and sang often in his last months of life. He loved the Dallas Cowboys and watched the Sunday afternoon game with his daughter, Sylvia, the day before he passed. Manuel was an incredibly strong and loving man. He absolutely adored his wife. Manuel was cherished by his family and his absence is felt deeply. The family has faith and is comforted with the knowledge that his absence from his body means he is present with the Lord. There is no greater blessing. Manuel is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rosalia Longoria, his parents, Manuel Longoria, Sr. and Margarita Saenz Longoria, his sister, Yolanda Cerda, and his son-in-law, Alexander Murillo. Manuel is survived by his son, Michael Raymond (Sharon) Longoria; his daughters Margaret (Omar) Bourbois, Maxine (Rusty) Nash and Sylvia Murillo; eight grandchildren Leonna (John Stephenson) Longoria, Anthony (Jennifer) Longoria, Maxine Belicia (Cheyne Tasic) Longoria, Amanda (Brad) Stawarz, Kristopher (Jay) Bourbois, Andrew (Marian) Longoria Murillo, Alexis Murillo and Corynna Murillo; seven great grandchildren Sadie Luna, Gabriel Luna, Diego Longoria, Bowie Stawarz, Nicolas Longoria Murillo, Stevie Rose Stawarz and Lola Rose Bourbois; two sisters Maria Azucena "Tute" and Rosalinda (Rogelio) Esqueda; numerous other relatives. Visitation will be held Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 4 p.m. at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mission with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, October 28, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with burial to follow at Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery. The family would like to thank everyone for their prayers and thanks the doctors and nurses at McAllen Medical Center, Village Healthcare and Rehabilitation, and the Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home for their dedicated care of Mr. Longoria.