Jesse S. Covarrubias, 74, passed away, Wednesday, October 22, 2014, at his home. Jesse was born June 26, 1940 in San Antonio, TX. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1964 from the University of Texas at Austin and later attended graduate school at UCLA. He began his career as a Bridge Engineer for CALTRANS Bridge Department in Los Angeles where he worked from 1964 to 1970. He returned to Texas in 1970 to work for the TxDOT Bridge Division until 1972. After leaving TxDOT, he was a Project Engineer and the Acting Vice President at a design firm in San Antonio until 1976. He started his own structural engineering firm later that year. Since then, Structural Engineering Associates, Inc. (SEA) has continued to grow to a 42-person firm and recently celebrated its 38th anniversary. Through Jesse's leadership, SEA has won numerous accolades, including two national bridge design awards. He was also instrumental in obtaining three U.S. patents for innovative and unique structures. Jesse strived to excel in the field of structural engineering for both bridge and building projects and was admired and sought out as a problem solver. He was always gracious with his time and expertise and served as mentor to many. One of his biggest accomplishments has been to build SEA's reputation as the leading international bridge design firm in Texas. In 2006, Jesse was inducted into the University of Texas Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. It was an honor that he cherished. Jesse relished his visits to Las Vegas and went often, with the last trip being at the end of June 2014. The dealers at the blackjack tables enjoyed his quick wit and even knew him by name. He also loved watching the Spurs and was an avid Longhorn alumnus often sporting his UT gear. You could always find Jesse with a Mickey Mouse tie and he had many in his collection. In the summer of 2013, Jesse treated his wife, his two sons and their families to a trip to Madrid, Rome, Paris and London. It was a family vacation that generated many happy memories. He was a smart, generous and loving man who always had an interesting story or funny joke to tell. He will be greatly missed by those who had the pleasure to know him. Jesse is survived by his wife, Margarita Covarrubias; his two sons from his first wife, Daniel Covarrubias and his wife Shelly and David Covarrubias and his wife Barbara; three grandchildren, Dana Covarrubias and her husband Ronan Babbitt, Paul Xiques, and Jenna Covarrubias; his sister Delfina Galloway and her husband George; and numerous nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. He was predeceased by his mother, Maria Cristina Covarrubias (1971); his first wife and mother of his children, Adella Tober Covarrubias (1971); his son Darren Covarrubias (1998); his brothers Guadalupe Covarrubias (1994) and Porfirio Arana (2012). FUNERAL SERVICES Visitation will begin at 5:00 pm with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00 pm on Monday, October 27th at The Angelus Funeral Home at 1119 North St. Mary's St., San Antonio, TX 78215. Funeral Mass will be offered on Tuesday, October 28th at 10:00 am at the Church of the Holy Spirit, 8134 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78216. Following the Funeral Mass, Jesse will be laid to rest at San Fernando Cemetery #2, 746 Castroville Rd., San Antonio, TX 78237. If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a scholarship fund for undergraduate civil engineering students at the University of Texas at Austin. Gifts may be made online at: "giving.utexas.edu/jsc". Alternatively, checks can be made payable to UT Austin with the memo line including: "CAEE Academy Scholarship". Please mail check to: The University of Texas at Austin Attn: Henna J. Tayyeb 301 E. Dean Keeton Street, C2104 Austin, TX 78712