Jose Hernandez Perez, born April 1941, succumbed to his battle with small cell lung cancer on August 14, 2020.

Born in Mathis, Texas, he was the second of four children born to Ysidro Perez and Magdalena "Elena" Hernandez.  He was a wise and thoughtful man, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He cared deeply about people and was an admitted self-starter who blessed everyone he touched.

Life in Texas was difficult for a poor Mexican-American Family in 1941, but Joe, as he was known by his many friends and acquaintances, was smart, enterprising and was always committed to looking for ways to care for his Mother Elena and his siblings.  As a child, he traveled the State and the Country with his mother and siblings under the watchful eye of his entrepreneurial grandfather Manuel Hernandez. His Grandfather coordinated caravans of family and friends to follow the harvesting cycles of migrant farmworkers picking cotton, beets, watermelons, corn, carrots and other crops that kept the nation fed.  He recalled those childhood memories fondly, playing hide-n-seek in the cotton fields with his siblings, cousins and friends as his family toiled under the hot sun. Oblivious to the hardships they endured, he always kept an attentive eye on his Grandfather and he learned.  As he matured it was that experience that convinced him starting and owning his own business was his path to success.

As a young man, he traveled throughout South and West Texas, as well as New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Arizona and acquired the traits of self-sufficiency, ingenuity, the value of friendship, the genuineness of hard work and the acceptance of others that can only come from adversity and hardship.  These experiences molded him into the entrepreneur, community leader, and contributor for good within his community that symbolized his life.  These traits have been passed on to his children who are committed to following his example.

Looking to settle down, he decided San Antonio was the place to make his mark.  He met a young woman who caught his eye, the attractive Manuela "Nelo" Pardo, at the Terminal Produce Market on the edge of San Antonio's West side, where he began a courtship that ultimately led to 56 years of love and marriage.  Times were tough for a young couple with a lot of love and no money, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a soldier.  He served honorably for four years, which included a stint in Korea.  Upon completion of his service, he and Nelo planted roots and bought a home on the Southside where they raised two daughters and three sons.

In 1969, with the encouragement of his most ardent supporter, Nelo, a pick-up truck, $200 cash and the devil be damned confidence that only a go-getter understands, Fairway Landscape and Nursey took root. In the early years while he and Nelo grew Fairway, he also worked fulltime as a salesman for Saldana and Garza.  All the while he slowly built his business through his tenacity, giving his customers what they wanted and identifying opportunities that lead to success.  Each of his five children grew-up in the business and have, at one time or another, been a part of the Company's management and growth.

In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fairway is still going strong, with an expanded footprint that today includes a 36 acre tree farm, an operations base, and a retail and wholesale outlet located on Loop 1604 S. The seeds he planted have grown into a 51 year old successful business. To this day, Fairway is still family owned and is managed by three of his children and two of his grandchildren.

Through the Grace of God, he and Manuela celebrated their 56 ^th wedding anniversary and her 83 ^rd birthday in June 2020. He is survived by his loving wife, Manuela "Nelo" Pardo Perez and together they raised an always loving and united family of five children: Jose "Joe" M. (Stacey) Perez, Ricardo "Richard" H. (Judy) Perez, Adela "Dela" P. (Ricardo "Rick") Gonzales, Estela "Stella" Garcia-Perez and Esteban "Steve" (Lori) Perez, 19 grandchildren who adored their "Pappo", seven great-grandchildren, his sister, Maria "Mary" Elva Estrada, sisters-in-law Anna and Maria Guadalupe Pardo, brothers-in-law Patricio (Graciela), Cruz (Mary Louise "Lulu"), and Domingo (Ann) Pardo, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, many business colleagues, countless friends, his fellow Directors and staff from the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties Water Control and Improvement District, and countless others he touched throughout his lifetime as a businessman.

FUNERAL SERVICES

The Family is heartbroken that due to the risks associated with contracting COVID-19, the traditional and customary practice of receiving extended Family and Friends during the viewing, the celebration of the Holy Rosary, the Funeral Mass and subsequent burial will be limited to immediate Family only .

The Rosary will be held on Friday, August 21 at 6:00pm, with the Funeral Mass celebration and burial on Saturday, August 22 beginning at 9:30 am. The Holy Rosary, Funeral Mass and burial with military honors will be live streamed, please:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95730476926?pwd=WTFpNXRLQ3ZQYVpFQ0hHZm1oK1BUUT09

Meeting ID: 957 3047 6926
Passcode: PEREZ

You are also invited to sign the online guestbook.

RECEPTION

We invite you to join us on Saturday morning after the burial service at 11:30 a.m., for a socially distanced opportunity to visit with the Family and break bread in the open air under the massive oak trees at the home of Estela Garcia-Perez located at 11215 W Loop 1604 S, San Antonio, Tx 78252.

For everyone's safety, we kindly ask that you refrain from joining us if you have a fever, have been in contact with anyone who has contracted COVID-19 within the last 14 days or are feeling ill in any way.