Roland Arzola

Roland Arzola, 80, of San Antonio, passed away surrounded by his family on October 6, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas, after a lengthy battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He was originally diagnosed with ALS in 1992 and fought the good fight for over thirty years.

Roland was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Amando and Delia Arzola on November 17, 1941. He attended San Antonio Tech & Vocational High school (now Fox Tech) in San Antonio. Roland loved sports and was a three-year starter on his high school basketball team. Later in life, he coached boys' youth sports which included sixteen seasons of soccer and nine seasons of basketball. Through this work, he strived to positively impact the hundreds of boys, who played in over forty city leagues. He graduated high school in 1961 and furthered his education by earning an Associate degree from San Antonio College in 1971, and later attended Our Lady of the Lake and University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA).

As a young man, Roland loved to swim with his family at the Elmendorf Lake and watch western movies at the Mayan Open Air Theater. While, he was always up for fun, Roland started working at Pancho’s Grill at the age of nine and a half. He worked to help his family.

Roland spent four years in the US Airforce where he worked on Atlas Missiles. He was an electrician by trade and spent twenty-eight years in civil service, working at all the San Antonio area bases in Civil Engineering. Roland's work ranged from journeyman electrician at Lackland Air Force Base to General Foreman (Branch Chief) at Kelly AFB. He retired from Kelly in November of 1996.

While serving in Air Force in Nebraska, Roland met his future wife, Sandra Spaedt. Then in 1964 they were married and began their fifty-eight year journey. Roland was self-taught in many trades and other subjects besides electrical to gain knowledge for communicating with others and helping out family members. His wife called him her renaissance man as he learned how to fix anything in the house or on his car.

When not working, Roland loved to spend time with his family, whether it was cooking brisket on a Sunday, watching the Cowboys or cheering for his Spurs. At family gatherings, Roland loved to dance with his wife and sisters. He loved to joke and tell stories and always spoke about his favorite pair of dancing shoes, his tangerine Stacy Adams. In addition, Roland loved his summer road trips where the family visited national and state parks in every state except Hawaii and Alaska. Ever the athlete, he also enjoyed skiing with his family during the winter months. During the summer, he could be found either on the Frio river tubing with the family or fishing down at the coast.

Roland is preceded in death by his parents, Amando and Delia Arzola, sisters Eveltina Arzola Gonzales and Rosalinda Arzola Garza, and brother, Hector Arzola.

He is survived by his loving wife, Sandra Arzola; children Eric Arzola (Kathy) of Houston and Stephanie Arzola (Michael Perez) of San Antonio, grandchildren: Seth Arzola-Boyson, Devon Arzola, Zane Arzola, Cassia Perez, Persephany Arzola, Briseis Arzola, Sisters: Dahlia Chavez, Clementina Cantu (A.W. Caskey), Amanda Alaniz, Agnes Lines (Rodney), Elsie Castillo and Alice Portillo; brother: Alfonso Arzola (Terry), sister-in-law Margie Arzola; numerous nieces and nephews and his puppies Chuy and Bella.

Roland's family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the staff at the San Antonio ALS Clinic and Dr. Carlayne E. Jackson, the South Texas VA ALS Clinic and Dr. Qingshan (Michael) Teng, Dr. Gregorio E. Pedroza III and the staff of the North Central Federal Health Clinic, Mary Klenke, Emeritus and the South Texas Chapter of ALS Association, the teams at the Three Oaks Hospice and Sonterra Health Center.

Visitation will be at 5:00 PM Thursday, November 3, 2022, at Sunset Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 1701 Austin Highway, followed by the rosary at 7:00 PM.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Friday, November 4, 2022, at Saint Anthony de Padua, 102 Lorenz Road, San Antonio, TX 78209. Burial will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Arrangements are by Sunset Funeral Home.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfuneralhomesa.com for the Arzola family.