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Thursday, September 10, 2020
Starts at 10:00 am (Central time)
Roberto “Robert” Rangel Ochoa was called by our Lord on August 1, 2020. Robert Ochoa was born on the King Ranch in Kingsville on November 2, 1938, to Miguel Ruiz Ochoa and Hortensia Rangel Ochoa.
At the age of 4, the family moved to Corpus Christi where his parents enrolled him and his sister Emma, in a one room Spanish speaking private school where they mastered mathematics. This would later prove to be the key to his shrewed business successes. The family eventually returned to Kingsville and at the age of 10, he started working in the cotton fields to contribute to the household expenses. One day while walking by the university cafeteria he was overwhelmed by the lingering aroma. He approached the cook and offered to wash the dishes in exchange for a plate of food. He did such a fantastic job that he was hired as a dishwasher for 25 cents an hour. At the age of 16 he was hired by HEB to work in the produce department. This would eventually lead to his true calling.
He enlisted in the Army National Guard at the age of 17 where he served until his enlistment in the Air Force at the age of 20. He was honorably discharged in Del Rio, Texas where he took employment with a Piggly Wiggly supermarket, eventually becoming the produce manager. The CEO of the supermarket chain took notice that this store sold more produce than several other stores combined and personally visited the Del Rio store to find out how this was possible. Roberto had developed a system where instead of selling certain items by the pound, he substituted “so many for a dollar”. He as promoted to regional Supervisor for produce. Eventually, he would become co-owner of a large chain of grocery stores called Deluxe Supermarkets in San Antonio. Robert never forgot that he was born a “Kinerño”.
Whenever the subject of the King Ranch came up, he was ready to explain how the ranch came to be and how his grandfather was the first of the Ochoa clan to hire on with the ranch.
He was gifted with many talents: musician, singer, composer; boxer and a fantastic dancer. He composed songs about several family members, much to their delight. He was always helping those in need and would give you the shirt off his back. Whether he knew you or not, he made friends with everyone he came across and he was well respected to all who knew him.
This was evident with those who drove by his home just to catch a glimpse of him sitting on his front porch while he was in hospice at home, those who dropped by and just wanted to look at him one more time, and those who called to see how he was doing.
He was a wonderful and loving father, grandfather, son, brother and uncle. The pride of his life was his family. There were pictures all over his home of his family members and that tells you everything you would ever need to know about him and what was important to him.
He was preceded in death by his parents Miguel and Hortensia Ochoa and his younger sister Gloria Ochoa Perez. He leaves behind his surviving siblings Jose (Maria) Ochoa and Emma (Manuel) Ochoa Ramos; his three children, Yvette Ochoa Armani and her husband Maximus Masood Armani, Sonya Ochoa Florie and her fiancé Troy Bennett, and Robert Michael Gomez and his significant other Samantha Davila; grandchildren, Josh Ochoa Milan and Kaisar Jonas Yamin, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He died like a true Kineño: he died with his boots on.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral. His burial will take place at 10:00 am, September 10, 2020 at Chamberlain Cemetery.
In Lieu of flowers, the family has asked that a donation be made in his honor to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Services are entrusted to Turcotte – Piper Mortuary Services, 205 General Cavazos Blvd. Kingsville, TX 78363.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Starts at 10:00 am (Central time)
Chamberlain Cemetery
Visits: 48
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