Manuel Chávez was preceded in death by his parents Ildefonso Chávez & Carmen Martínez Chávez, sister Reyna Chávez, brother Jesús Chávez and son Manuel Chávez, Jr. He is survived by his loving wife Maria Irene Chávez (née Piña) and his children: Irma Rivera, Oralia Keller (Donald), Maria Chávez (Jose Antonio), Ildifonso Chávez (Odelia), Juan Manuel Chávez (Mayra), Arturo Chávez (Corina) and Alejandro Chávez. Also, to treasure many memories are his grandchildren Erica Irene Chávez, Jose Antonio Rodriguez Jr, Ildifonso Manuel Chávez, Alejandra Maria Rodriguez, Daniel Arthur Chávez, Jeremy Kyle Chávez, Veronica Sandra Chávez, Nadia Maria Chávez, Arturo Manuel Chávez, Jadie Natalia Chávez, Julian Manuel Chávez and great-grandchildren Mateo Carrillo, Grace Lynn Chávez and Rose Marie Chávez.
Manuel Chávez was born in Metates, Durango Mexico in 1931, in a remote mountain town that he referred to as “un paraiso.” As a way to earn a living, his family grew and raised cattle. He loved his intelligent horses and often reminisced of his early life in Metates. When Manuel was a teenager, his father Ildefonso Chávez, passed away. The family had to find a way to support themselves, so they moved to Matamoros, Tamaulipas Mexico. In 1953, Manuel crossed the border to Brownsville, Texas to find better paying work, and then moved on to Chicago. After a few years of working in Chicago, he returned to Brownsville where he met his wife Irene and they started a family together. In 1971, Manuel and his growing family then moved to the neighborhood of Pilsen in Chicago, where he lived for over 25 years. While living in Chicago, he tried his best to learn English, often enrolling in local ESL classes even though he never had an opportunity to have a formal education in Mexico and worked extremely long hours. Throughout his life, Manuel often volunteered at his local Catholic church to help with activities and was also involved with community organizations.
A few years after he retired, he fulfilled his dream of returning to Brownsville, Texas in 1997 where he remained until his death in 2022. In Brownsville, he was fortunate to have the opportunity to reunite with his siblings, who supported him through the good times and bad. He loved them very much and was grateful for their presence in his life.
Manuel was a soft-spoken, kind, and gentle man. He was a devoted and loving family man that enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and siblings. As his family grew to include more grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he remained dedicated to his family, even from a distance— never forgetting a birthday and always happy when someone called or visited. Manuel will be greatly missed by many.
Visitation will be from 3:30pm to 10pm with a rosary at 7:00pm on Wednesday, March 9th, 2022, Chapel of Peace at Funeraria del Angel Buena Vista. Church service will be held at 2pm on Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at Christ The King Catholic Church. Rite of committal will follow at Buena Vista Burial Park.
Family and friends are invited to view the obituary, sign the guestbook electronically, share a memory and leave a condolence message for Manuel Chávez’ family at www.funerariadelangelbuenavista.com
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista, 125 McDavitt Brownsville, Texas 78521 and (956) 541-5400.
