Fabian Noyola Chavez Jr.

Fabian Noyola Chavez, Jr. of Brownsville, Texas, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend entered into eternal rest on January 31, 2023, at Valley Regional Medical Center surrounded by his loving family.  He was born in Raymondville, TX on July 18, 1938.

He is preceded in death by his father, Fabian Gonzalez Chavez Sr, mother, Virginia Noyola Chavez,  brothers, Gilberto Chavez, Juan Chavez, Jesus Chavez, Jose Chavez, father-in-law, Jesus Aleman Infante,  mother-in-law, Otila DelaGarza Infante, and his brothers-in-law, Jesus Infante Jr, Albino Infante, Sigifredo Infante, and Rodolfo Infante, brothers-in-law Adan Tamez, Isidro Reyna, and Cruz Cervantes, sister-in-law Jesusa Lopez Infante. 

Left to cherish his memory is his spouse of fifty-nine years, Adriana Infante Chavez, sons Dino X Chavez (Odelia), and Fabian Chavez III, daughter, Sandra Chavez Lenz (Andrew), and sisters, Diana Tamez, Emilia Cervantes, Diamantina Reyna, and Belinda Garcia, sisters-in-law Elida Infante, San Juanita Yzaguirre Infante, Irma Hinojosa Infante, and Hortencia Manriquez Infante.

Also left to cherish his memory are his grandchildren Danielle (Fernando) Chavez Trevino, Dino X Chavez II, Alexandra Chavez, Dominic X Chavez, Isabella Chavez, Andrew Jakob Lenz, Aidan Lenz, Alec Lenz, Adrian Lenz, Chloe Chavez, and Rocco Chavez.

Visitation is scheduled for Friday, February 3, 2023 from 2PM – 8PM with the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6PM at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in Brownsville. A funeral mass will be held at Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Church in Lyford on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 2PM.  Interment will follow church services at Lyford Evergreen Cemetery with military honors. Funeral services have been entrusted to Sunset Memorial Funeral Home, located at 657 Springmart Blvd, Brownsville. 

Fabian was the oldest of nine children. As the oldest, he had many responsibilities growing up including helping his father with various businesses.  In addition, one job he always talked about was being a film room operator at the Texas Theater in Raymondville while also working at the same job at the Drive-In Theater in Raymondville.  After high school, he enlisted in the US Army in 1957, receiving his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. He then moved on to Technical School at a base in Wichita Falls.  In 1958, he was offered a unique opportunity and switched his recruitment to the US Air Force.  While in the Air Force, he was stationed at Vincent Air Force Base (1958-59) in Yuma, Arizona.  From 1960 to 1961, he got to see another part of the globe while being stationed at Shoa Air Force Base in Tokyo, Japan.  To finish off his military career, he spent his last year at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

After leaving the military, Fabian moved back home to Texas.  He met the love of his life and after only three months of courtship, he and Adriana were married.  Their early years were spent living in Raymondville, Lyford, Fort Worth, and Pharr.  Fabian was a born salesman. As the saying goes, he could sell ice to an Eskimo.  He sold insurance and various sundries until he settled on being a world-class tire salesman.  While in tire sales, he worked for Goodyear Tires in Harlingen, General Tires in McAllen, Goodyear Tires in Brownsville, and  Risica & Sons in Brownsville before starting his own business in Brownsville,  International Tires, Inc.  International Tires was a thriving business for many years expanding into all types of automotive repairs, and even custom automotive paint jobs.  The business thrived for fifteen great years doing a large volume of business in the USA and Mexico.  Unfortunately, the business was closed in the late 1980s due to very poor economic conditions brought on by multiple Mexican Peso devaluations.  During the late 1980s, Fabian decided to dabble in the food business by starting Fabian’s Mexican Food restaurant in Brownsville.  However, the business was closed after a few years.  During the whole time he owned International Tires, he also became involved in brokering large volumes of commodities like oil, silver, gold, grain, and many other items.  He and his business partners had visions of becoming millionaires in the commodity business, but things never really got to that point.

Beginning in the mid-1990s, Fabian finally retired after many years of working.  He enjoyed watching old country western movies and Dallas Cowboys football games.  He also enjoyed rooting for the Texas Longhorns until his final days.

Dad was a great human being. He loved his family and God vehemently, spending many hours every day connecting with our God Almighty. It’s bittersweet knowing it will be a while before we see him again, but for him to be in heaven must be the most magnificent sight to behold.

Honored to be Fabian’s Pallbearers are his Godson and nephews: Chris Nagel, Jesse Chavez Jr, Adrian Cervantes, Johnny Dan Reyna, JR Infante, and Raymond Tamez.  Honorary Pallbearers are Dr. Paul Lenz, Reymundo Infante, Mark Cervantes, Adan Tamez, Jake Chavez, Fabian Chavez, and Johnny Chavez.

On behalf of the entire family, we would like to thank Dr. Paul Lenz, the caring staff of Spanish Meadows Nursing Home, his numerous VA nurses that visited him frequently at home, the nurses and doctors, and Valley Regional Medical Center and Rufina Martinez, his caretaker at home.

Services are under the guidance of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home, Crematory & Flower Shop. 657 Springmart Blvd., Brownsville, Texas. (956) 350-8485

To send flowers or a plant to the family in the memory of Mr. Fabian Chavez Jr. please visit https://didisflowershop.com/shop or call (956) 455-3718.