Obituary of Raoul Ysasi

SAN BENITO -- Raoul "Rudy" Ysasi died on Saturday, May 27, 2017, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen; he is now home with our Father in heaven.
He was 48.

Rudy is survived by his loving wife Melissa Ysasi, his daughter Cassandra Lynn (Luis) Ysasi-Figueroa, son Aaron Jacob (Marissa Flores) Ysasi, and granddaughter Felicity Adeline Figueroa. He is also survived by his loving parents Ysaul and Aurora Ysasi, brothers John, Victor (Linda) and David (Rosie) Ysasi; his sisters Ann Margaret Rodriguez and Elizabeth Ann (Noe Almaguer) Ysasi, as well as many nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

A native of Bakersfield, California, Rudy and his family moved to San Benito, Texas when he was young. He met Melissa while they were students at San Benito High School during the 1980s and married her on Sept. 4, 1993. They raised a family together in a Christian household and instilled Biblical principles in their children's upbringing. 

Melissa remembers Rudy as the love of her life who went out of his way to be a loving, nurturing and compassionate husband, as well as a caring and supportive father who worked hard to provide for his family as a proud employee of the U.S. Post Office in San Benito, not to mention often working weekends at Valley Race Park in Harlingen.

To everyone, Rudy was the consummate joker who enjoyed making others laugh, and who was especially good at finding and exploiting the humor in otherwise somber or tense situations.
The 1988 graduate of San Benito High is perhaps more fondly remembered by those who knew him best as a fiercely loyal fan of the San Benito Greyhounds, so much that his playful-yet-legendary hatred of the Harlingen Cardinals had become something of a pastime for him. 

Forever young at heart, Rudy had an affinity for all things Dallas Cowboys, Star Wars, cooking, video games and just about any 80s-era music. But there was nothing he loved more than spending time with his family -- whether it was barbecuing for everyone, laughing with his son and daughter of whom they shared similar interests, playing with his granddaughter, or buying his beloved wife flowers "just because."
Such was Rudy's life here on earth, one that will live on through his family and his family of friends.

Visitation will be held at Thomae-Garza Funeral Directors from 3 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Funeral service will be held at noon on Thursday, June 1, 2017, at Thomae-Garza Funeral Home chapel. Internment will follow at Mont Meta Memorial Park in San Benito.

 Serving as pallbearers are Cassandra Lynn Ysasi-Figueroa, Aaron Jacob Ysasi, Luis Figueroa, Christopher Torres, Lionel Almaguer, Andrew Escamilla, Luis Gutierrez and Anthony Rodriguez.

You may find an online guestbook and send words of comfort, flowers, or sympathy cards to the family of Raoul "Rudy" Ysasi at www.thomaegarza.com. Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Thomae-Garza Funeral Directors in San Benito, located at 395 S. Sam Houston Blvd

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