Enrique Vargas

Enrique (Henry) was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 5, 1940 to Hipolito and Carmen Rey Vargas. He grew up in Juarez and El Paso, Texas and is a son of the dessert where he spent most of his life.

He graduated from El Paso Technical High School in 1960, where he was an All-Star baseball player at the catcher position. After graduating high school, Enrique joined the Marines as a reservist. In 1962 he married Mary Ellen Ogaz in El Paso. The couple had three sons: Kenneth, Larry and Gerald.

Enrique joined the El Paso Fire Department in 1968. He proudly served in Companies 20 and 19 for 23 years and retired in 1991 and moved to Austin, Texas – eager to be with his first grandson, Sean. He helped to raise Sean and would later share in the care of his grandsons Jonathan, Aaron and Ethan.

Enrique was passionate about golf. He honed his game on the sand-dunned banks of the Rio Grande and crafted a superior game achieving a “0” handicap, and winning multiple tournaments when he wasn’t hustling side bets on his favorite golf courses in El Paso and New Mexico. He organized a “Ryder-Cup” Style golf match between the El Paso and Albuquerque Fire Departments for several years. His passion for golf remained with him even after illness robbed him from the vigor to play anymore. His family is blessed that two days before his passing, he was on the golf course watching his son and grandsons play a round of his favorite game.

He was especially devoted to his son, Larry, who was born with a learning disability and required special attention and care his entire life. Enrique suffered the heart ache of having to send his son to the Abilene State School because no adequate programs existed in El Paso. Together with Mary Ellen, and other parents in El Paso, they lobbied the Texas legislature, and raised funds and awareness so that El Paso could have its own facility. Their effort were rewarded when the El Paso children, including Larry, returned home from Abilene so that their families could be with them all the time, and they could get the special care they needed to develop as adults.

He is preceded in death by his parents Hipolito and Carmen Rey Vargas and his sister, Mother Superior Josephina, and his father-in-law Eloy and brother-in-law Eloy Jr. Enrique is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Ellen Ogaz Vargas; his sons, Kenneth Vargas and wife, Suha, Larry Vargas, and Gerald Vargas and wife, Andrea; grandsons, Sean, Jonathan (Jojo), Rumzy, Aaron and Ethan; his brothers and sisters, Martha, Graciela, Elvia, Pedro, Rosa, Victor, and Julieta; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Evelyn (and Paco), Abraham (and Bea) Johnny, David, and Paula; nephews and nieces, Cynthia, Eduardo (Chacho), Debbie, Erik, Ramon, Marleen, Peter, Victor (Jr.), Ronnye, Tiffanye, Ricky, Marty, Terry, Michael, Kathy, Sandy, Tracy, Jimmy, Jennifer, Johnny, Desiree, Christopher, Claire, Eloy and Cora.

He is godfather to Sergio, Rubencito, Debbie, Tracy, Raul, Sean, Aaron, and Ava.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., Thursday, August 20, 2015 at Our Lady’s Maronite Catholic Church, 1320 E. 51st St. with a Recitation of the Rosary at 7:00 P.M. Mass of Celebration will be at 11:00 A.M., Friday, August 21, 2015 at Our Lady’s Maronite Catholic Church with Monsignor Donald J. Sawyer, Celebrant. Interment will follow at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park. Afterwards, we will return to the Church for lunch and fellowship. All are welcome.