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It is with great sorrow and love that wife Roxana and daughter Roxie Vargas announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Raymond Mata Vargas, on Feb. 3, 2025. A disabled Navy Veteran, and retired Kelly Air Force Base B52 & C5 Aircraft General Foreman, Raymond Mata Vargas, age 90, was born January 8, 1935, in San Antonio-TX to Cleofas and Porfiria Vargas who have preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death is his son, Raymond Vargas, Jr; eight brothers, Pat, Paul, Cleofas, George, Henry, Gabriel, Tony, Bobby, and sister, Eleanor. He is survived by his wife, Roxana Vargas; his children, Cynthia Trevino (Roland), David Vargas (Rosie), Mark Vargas (Danisia), and Roxana Celeste “Roxie” Vargas. He is also survived by his late son, Raymond Jr’s wife, Yolanda Vargas, brother Eddie Vargas and ten grandchildren: Stephanie De Santiago, Roland Trevino Jr., Priscilla Trevino, Monica Torres, Mark Jr “Marco” Vargas, Nicole Vargas Valdez, Nicholas Vargas, David Vargas Jr, Chrissy Vargas, and Robert Moralez. He has 31 great grandchildren, and 8 great-great grandchildren. Raymond, a US Navy Petty Officer, Quartermaster, served during the Korean War on the U.S.S. Oriskany, an Essex class aircraft carrier, where he sustained wartime injuries aboard the aircraft carrier operating off the Sea of Japan. The Oriskany was part of Task Force 77, which was the aircraft carrier battle strike force of the United States Seventh Fleet of the US Navy. It was after a bombing mission, that one of the aircraft’s bombs did not disengage properly and exploded on deck while the aircraft was landing on its return mission. Raymond sustained significant injuries as a result of the explosion and received treatment at several Naval Hospitals at Yokosuka, Japan, San Diego and Texas for the next 3 years, leading to a disability retirement after 4 years in service. He later began his 37-year Air Force civil service career as a sheet metal mechanic apprentice at the San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly AFB, TX. He completed a 4-year apprenticeship and was certified by the Department of Labor as a master mechanic journeyman. The following 33 years, he spent in a supervisory and management capacity as an aircraft general foreman for sheet metal and manufacturing, aircraft parts and repair, heat-treating jet engines, welding aircraft parts, B-52 bomber and C-5 cargo aircraft repair and modification and machining aircraft parts. During his various managerial assignments, he supervised multiple teams of supervisors and a 225- member workforce of sheet metal mechanics, welders, machinists, and heat-treaters, all in support of the Air Logistics Center’s aircraft programmed depot maintenance mission for the B52 Bomber and C-5 Cargo aircraft. Throughout his managerial career, he was an active member of the Federal Managers and Kelly Management Associations. Early in his civil service career, he coached Pop Warner football for Youths and also CYO girls’ softball and boy’s baseball teams. He encouraged and took an interest in coaching his children, Raymond, Jr., Cynthia, David and Mark in the CYO softball and baseball programs, especially since they were so athletic. His active community involvement resulted in him being recognized by Kelly AFB leadership who assigned what it was then to become his future wife, a Kelly AFB mission newswriter, Roxana Villarreal, to write up a feature news article on his many contributions to youths in the community. Her feature on Raymond was publicized in AFNEWS and the San Antonio Express News. He later married Roxana Villarreal, and they have been married for 44 years. An avid golfer, Raymond, was a member of the Kelly AFB Weekenders’ Association and won a few city amateur tournaments in his class. Upon his civil service retirement, he served as a golf marshal at various PGA events at the Oak Hills and La Cantera country clubs and Seniors PGA tournaments at the Dominion. Both he and his wife, Roxana, enjoyed marshalling at the Valero Texas Open. As a retiree, he loved to play golf with his wife Roxana, daughter Roxie and sons, Raymond Jr, and Mark. He proudly taught Roxie to play golf and continued to coach her when she was on the golf team at Marshall High School. A 38-year member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Helotes, Raymond was an active member of the OLG Military Family Ministry, along with his wife Roxana and daughter Roxie. A devout Catholic, he has always had a deep and abiding faith, carrying on a Catholic Tradition passed on from his parents and grandparents. He also had a deep love of music and played the Spanish Guitar. He enjoyed entertaining family and friends by playing and singing many Spanish ballads along with his brothers and was gratified to see so many of his children and grandchildren display musical abilities and talent like him. A lifetime of contributing to the community and mentoring others, he was loved by everyone he knew and will always be remembered for his generosity of spirit and kindness. Visitation will begin at 5:00 P.M. followed by the Rosary at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at Mission Park Funeral Chapels North, 3401 Cherry Ridge Drive, San Antonio-TX. Final Viewing will be February 21 at 9:00am at the Funeral Home. The Procession will depart the Funeral Home at 10:00 A.M. for the Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 11:00 A.M at St. Anthony Mary Claret Catholic Church,105 Roft Rd, San Antonio, TX 78253. Interment with Military Honors will follow at Resurrection Cemetery at Cordi-Marian, 11624 Culebra Rd., San Antonio-TX. Reception to follow at Our Lady of Guadalupe Annex Property (3rd Floor Ballroom), 11762 FM1560, Helotes, TX 78023 @ 3pm In addition to flowers, contributions are welcome to be made to VFW Post 7108 in Helotes, TX at the following link: https://vfw7108.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp to Donate in Raymond M. Vargas’ name.

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Raymond Mata Vargas

January 8, 1935 - February 3, 2025