Col. Roy Rodriguez Alvarez Jr., joined our Lord’s army of angels on the morning of July 16, 2020. Roy was born in Harlingen, Texas, on March 18, 1932, to Roy Alvarez Sr. and Connie Alvarez King. He attended Harlingen High School, where he played football and was a member of the National Honor Society and the Cardinal band. After high school, Roy worked his way through the College of Texas A&M and was a proud member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1954. After graduation, he married Tillie Gonzales on October 16, 1954.
Following an initial stint of service in the Army, Roy began his engineering career at the Texas Highway Department and then went on to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was called back into active service during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and ultimately served for almost 30 years, completing three tours in Vietnam and two tours in Germany. He served in a leadership capacity in numerous high-level engineering assignments and earned several medals for gallantry and service, including a Bronze Star.
In the early 1970s, Roy returned to his beloved Texas A&M to complete two master’s degrees, in architecture and engineering. He maintained a 4.0 GPA and was inducted into the Honor Society for both programs. In addition to his master’s studies, he completed courses at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and later taught at both Rice University and the University of Houston.
Roy’s last assignment in the military was as an Executive Officer at the U.S. Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command (MERADCOM). In 1981, Roy retired with the rank of Colonel. Roy was affectionally know as “The Colonel”. Following retirement, Roy continued to work in the civil engineering and construction management fields.
Roy was a selfless man who always put the needs of his family above his own. He was a man who led by example, who showed his family and friends his strength through his generosity and his faith in God. He ended every prayer with “care for those less fortunate.” Roy never met a stranger and in spite of his busy schedule always found time to perform acts of kindness, both big and small, in a way that left him written on the hearts of everyone he met. He also loved a joke—good or bad—and most likely has the angels in stitches already.
Roy is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Tillie G. Alvarez, his five children, Linda (Flavio) Olivarez, Elizabeth (Cesar) Maldonado, Roy (Carol) Alvarez III, Lorrie (Michael) Thompson, and Anna (Tim) McCoy. He will also be missed by his nine grandchildren, Laura, Marie, Marcus, Kristina, Kristin, Roy IV, Mackenzie, Alexander, and Michael, and seven great-grandchildren, Julianne, William, Ava, Roy V, Jordan, Peyton, and Mia. Roy was predeceased by his parents and brother.
A private celebration of Roy’s life will be held at St. Rose de Lima, followed by his interment at Fort Sam Houston. Both events will be limited to immediate family due to COVID restrictions and concerns.
In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Col. Roy R. Alvarez Jr. may be made to Wounded Warriors Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate. For an acknowledgement sent to Tillie Alvarez, please click the link above and make sure to 1) list the Tribute’s Name as Col. Roy R. Alvarez, 2) check the “Make this a gift in honor or memory of an individual” box, and 3) include Tillie’s name and address (Tillie Alvarez, 748 W. 42nd Street, Houston, Texas 77018).
