Roman Garza Rios

ROMAN GARZA RIOS

MCALLEN – Roman Garza Rios, 91, passed away Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Weslaco Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Rios our father, was born on October 23, 1934, in a small town in Sunnyland, Texas—a place where life was simple, but not always easy. From those early days, he learned the value of hard work, resilience, and standing strong, lessons that would shape the man he would become.

As a young man, DAD answered the call to serve his country, becoming a proud veteran. It followed him through every chapter of his life, guiding the way he worked, the way he lived, and the way he cared for his family.

DAD was self-employed man at heart. He believed in earning a living with his own hands in the field and he never shied away from long days or hard work in selling cars. Over the years, he traveled throughout Texas and into other states, always searching for opportunity, always trying to build or do something. Even in his later years, that drive never faded—he still had the spirit to keep going, still wanting to sell from home or the flea market, still chasing one more day of work.

He was a man who stood firm in who he was. DAD could be strict, and he could be stubborn— very stubborn, even until the very end. But he lived life on his own terms, making decisions without regret. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a real one. Every choice he made, every step he took, came from a place of love for all his children and a desire to provide for them the best way he knew how.

Life was not always kind or easy, and there were times when DAD had very little. But in another sense, he had everything. He was rich in experience, rich in lessons, and rich in the family he helped create. He had many children, and even when life created distance or hardship, his love for them remained—quiet, steady, and always present, even if it wasn’t always spoken.

At the center of his life was his wife, Herlinda Rios. She was his partner through it all—the struggles, the successes, and the years in between. His love for her was constant, a bond that anchored him through every season of life.

Roman Rios lived 91 years defined by perseverance, strength, and determination.  He worked hard, he stood his ground, and he never stopped trying. His story is not one of perfection, but of effort, of resilience, and of a man who loved his family in his own way.

And that story—his story—will live on through all those who carry his name, his lessons, and his memory forward.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Gorgonio Rios and Margarita Garza.

Mr. Rios is survived by his 17 children, Enriqueta Lopez, Jose Rios, Gilbert Rios, Robert Rios, Juan Roman Rios, Rosemary Rios, Nora Rios, Gloria Guerrero, Blanca Margarita Rios, Gorgonio Rios, Lucia Rios, Belinda Rios, Margarito Acosta, Hugo Ariel Salinas, Marisol Galvan, Tatiana Navarro, Karla Arias; 52 grandchildren; and brother, Pablo Rios.

Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. with a 6 p.m. rosary Monday, June 22, 2026, at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 E. Canton in Edinburg. Funeral service will take place at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Rio Grande Valley Veterans Cemetery in Mission.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.