Gustavo Eduardo Grajales

Gustavo Eduardo Grajales, known to many as “Gus” by his family and friends, passed away on April 9, 2025, at the age of 62 in Harlingen, Texas. He was born on June 14, 1962, in Raymondville, Texas to the late Maria Luisa Grajales-Flores and Francisco Grajales. Gus was known for his strong devotion to his family and friends, his incredible sense of humor, and his highly dependable work ethic. Gus had an incredibly warm and jovial nature. He was a man who enjoyed making the lives of the people he cared about better and cherished each moment he would spend with them. From his love of soccer to his weekly postings of “Gus in a Crazy Hat,” everyone who knew Gus could see he was a man who enjoyed making a life brighter. Gus was a graduate of Harlingen High School, where he played trombone and marched for the Big Red Cardinal Band. Later, Gus had the privilege of attending East Texas State University, where he continued to play trombone and marched for its band. During his life, Gus was fortunate to have developed some incredible friendship with people whom he viewed as his brothers and sisters. Specifically, Gus was grateful for the friendships he developed with Ted Ackerman, Neal Ackerman, Mark Wilson, David and Nancy Henderson, Steve Austin, Roland Salinas, John Saenz, Sergio Saldivar, and George Rubalcaba, just to name a few. Over the decades, Gus had an incredible career which encompassed many fields. Initially, before his children were born, Gus proudly served his country by serving as pilot in the Texas Air Guard and the United States Air Force. Additionally, early in his career, Gus worked offshore upon oil derricks in the Gulf. Next, once his children were born, Gus transitioned to becoming an entrepreneur and opened his own businesses in the Rio Grande Valley. One such business was HARLINGEN GLASS REPAIR, which offered windshield repair services to both commercial and private client’s decades before others were doing so. The other business, ARROYO CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, offered quality construction project management and price estimating services across the State. As the years went by, Gus developed an incredible skill set in the fields of construction project management and estimating, which earned him the privilege to work with ALPHA BUILDING CORPORATION (“ALPHA”), where he served as one of its Area/Regional Managers. Gus loved his time with ALPHA and the people whom he worked with. While he was with ALPHA, he oversaw large scale construction/restoration projects across Texas, which included works at Texas universities, schools, hospitals, government buildings, etc. He was passionate about the industry, which allowed him and ALPHA to achieve numerous National, State, and local honors, awards, and recognitions for their work. Notably, Gus was a man dedicated to his family. Throughout his college years and up to the time of their passing, Gus was a dutiful son and served as the primary care giver to both of his parents, Maria Luisa and Francisco. Gus was an incredible and involved father to both of his sons, Gustavo and Fernando. For many years, he volunteered his time coaching both of his boys and their friends in both soccer and baseball. As a league soccer coach, Gus and his dear friend, Roland Salinas, had the pleasure of coaching an incredible team of young athletes, known as the CELTIC ELITE, to several back-to-back Texas state championships. Beyond sports, Gus championed his sons in pursuing their dreams and doing well in their education. Gus was incredibly proud of the careers and lives his sons had built for themselves. Gus was also an excellent father figure to many of his sons’ dearest friends, whom Gus viewed as his own extended children. It was a privilege and honor for Gus to have watched them all grow up in front of his eyes into the incredibly successful people they have become. During the last years of his life, the center point was his grandson, Joaquin Andres. To Gus, Joaquin’s birth, and the years that he spent with him filled his heart with an immeasurable happiness which was beautiful to behold. Gus was an adoring husband. To him, Sara Alicia was more than just his wife: she was his best friend and his soulmate. For decades, Gus and Sara were an inseparable pair, who enjoyed spending all their time with one another. From watching their boys play sports, to cooking with one another, taking in a movie as family, travelling across the country, or even just riding in the car with one another, Gus loved being with Sara. Gus always knew that no matter what was going on in his life, that his Sara would be there by his side because she was his angel. For Gus, the times where he got to travel across the U.S.A. or just sit on the beaches of South Padre Island with Sara were some of the best moments in his life. Gus will be deeply missed by his children and grandchild. He is survived by his son Gustavo and his wife Gloria, and their son, Joaquin Andres; his son Fernando and his girlfriend, Daisy; his brother Frank and his wife Alicia, and their children, Francisco, and Sylvia; and his nephews Gabriel and Noe. He is preceded by his mother, Maria Luisa, his father, Francisco, his brother, George, and his sister-in-law, Elvira. Friends, family and loved ones are invited to pay their respects at Rudy Garza Funeral Home in Harlingen, Texas on Friday April 18, 2025. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a memorial service at 7:00 p.m. at the Rudy Garza Chapel of Peace in Harlingen, Texas. On April 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., a ceremony will take place in San Benito, Texas at Funeraria Del Angel Mont Meta and Memorial Park, where the interment of Gus’ ashes will take place, and he will be reunited with his beloved Sara. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rudy Garza Funeral Home in Harlingen, Texas.

Gustavo Eduardo Grajales

June 14, 1962 - April 9, 2025

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