Rudolfo Herrera

Rodolfo "Rudy" Herrera, 63, of Alpine, Texas, and formerly of Marfa, Texas, went to join his mother in heaven on Feb. 26, 2017, at Midland Memorial Hospital.

Services will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 11, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Marfa.

Rudy was born Dec. 6, 1953, in Marfa and raised in Marfa, the oldest of eight siblings. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School, and graduated from Marfa High School in 1971.

He moved to Alpine in 1978 to become the first Hispanic loan officer for the First National Bank.

In 2001, Rudy graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Sul Ross State University, alongside his youngest sibling, Joe, 24 years in age apart. In 2005, Rudy went on to earn his Master's degree in Business Administration.

He then continued on to a new profession that he grew to love, becoming a teacher for the Presidio Independent School District in 2006. He had a passion for teaching and guiding high school seniors to prepare them for life as young adults. The bonds he made with his students and fellow staff kept him at his happiest.

Rudy also had many hobbies and crafts he proudly honed that included carpentry, masonry, gardening, playing golf with his friends, camping and fishing along the Rio Grande, and digging throughout West Texas for his abundant, rare bottle collection.

Unfortunately, in 2012, Rudy had to put aside his passion for teaching and his hobbies due to becoming blind.

He is survived by his two children, daughter Leticia Church and husband Russell of Del Rio, Texas, and his son, Louis Herrera of Fort Stockton, Texas; his father, Ventura Herrera of Austin, Texas; his sisters, Conchita Vasquez and husband Loretto of Marfa; Sara Ontiveroz and husband Glenn, also of Marfa; Corina Herrera of Alpine; and Nora Herrera Alvarez of Austin; his brothers, Benjamin Herrera and wife Sarah of Odessa, Texas; Ernest Herrera and wife Diana of Alice, Texas; Joe Herrera of San Antonio; his grandchildren, Blaine, Scarlet, and Tyler Church of Del Rio, and Jaren Herrera of Fort Stockton; and many more family members, including numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Luz Villanueva Herrera.

Rudy had tremendous help and care from family and friends while dealing with his blindness and declining health, including Nancy Dominguez of Alpine, Gloria Gallego of Alpine, Linda Carmon of Alpine, Ysmael and Sylvia Rangel of Fort Stockton, Joe Rivera of Fort Stockton, his brother Benjamin Herrera, his childhood friend and brother-in-law Loretto Vasquez, and his son Louis Herrera.