Mario Najera

Raised in the Mexican-American community of west Dallas, Mario attended St.Mary of Carmel Catholic School and Crozier Tech High School and graduated from North Dallas High School in 1960. On August 3, 1962, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Peña.

As a young boy, Mario enjoyed playing baseball, a sport he continued playing throughout his high school years. Later, he received tremendous joy from coaching little league teams for 8 years and remained an avid fan of the sport throughout his life. In his mid-twenties, he started playing golf and joined several local chapters of the Pan American Golf Association. He spent the next 50 plus years traveling to national tournaments with Mary and making many lifelong friends. His love for the game of golf led to his involvement in the Friends of St. Mary’s, an organization he helped co-found which organized annual golf tournaments benefitting the school.

Family was important to Mario, and he was proud of his heritage, including his father’s roots in Malakoff, Texas, as a coalminer. He helped organize many reunions to celebrate the close-knit family formed by the coalminer community and gladly took on the responsibility of the ongoing maintenance for the Malakoff Coalminers’ Cemetery, where several of his family members are buried.

A devoted husband to Mary for almost 61 years, they happily traveled throughout Texas and beyond to attend weddings, quinceañeras, graduations, and other family events, where you could find them dancing the night away to oldies and Tejano music.

Mario worked 30 years for the City of Dallas, starting out as a land surveyor. After obtaining both real estate and broker licenses, he continued his career in property management for the City, which he continued until his retirement.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Manuel Najera, Sr. and Ernestina Guzman Najera; sisters, Margarita Castro Najera, Eloisa Castro Hernandez, Catherine Guzman Heithecker, Elvira Castro Siller, and Olga Guzman Martinez; and brothers, Jose Castro Najera, Pepe Guzman Najera, and Manuel Guzman Najera, Jr.

Survived by his lovely wife, Mary Pena Najera; and sons,Jaime E. Najera (Sylvia) and Raul M. Najera (Meghan). He was also blessed with four grandchildren, Jaime E.Najera, II, Christina E. Najera, Alejandro M. Najera, and Katherine I. Najera.

A visitation for Mario will be held Friday, June 23, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Grove Hill Funeral Home, 3920 Samuell Blvd, Dallas, TX 75228. A rosary will occur Friday, June 23, 2023 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, 3920 Samuell Blvd, Dallas, TX 75228. A funeral service will occur Saturday, June 24, 2023 from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at St. Philip The Apostle Church, 8131 Military Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75227. A committal service will occur Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Calvary Hill Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Ln, Dallas, TX 75220.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Grove-Hill.com for the Najera family.