Luis S. Faraklas

Luis Saldivar Faraklas was born October 30, 1929 in McAllen, Texas to Tom Faraklas and Eva Saldivar. Born the day after Black Tuesday, he spent his youth in the throes of the Great Depression before enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1944. After returning from overseas deployment in 1949, he met the love of his life, Enriqueta Gonzalez, when he took his Aunt Lydia to the Spanish Movie Theater where Enriqueta was working in the ticket booth. He often told his children and grandchildren that she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. His aunt warned him not to mess with her because she was a very good girl. After a three-year engagement, and convincing her father that he was a decent man and worthy of his daughter, they were married in Austin on August 30, 1952. Luis graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, during which time he and Enriqueta had three children, with the last one on the way. Luis and Enriqueta reached their 54th anniversary before her passing in 2006. He never removed his wedding band until it was falling off his finger because he got so thin. His father-in-law had told him that if he ever tasted Enriqueta’s arroz con pollo, he would be a lost man. For anyone who knows how much Luis loved food, he was lost. 

After working for three years under licensed engineers at Noonan and Crocker, Luis obtained his engineering license. He started his career in the private sector, then worked for a short while for the government before proudly creating his own engineering firm with his son, Louis, Jr. He maintained his engineering license for the rest of his life, making sure to complete his professional development hours online as recently as this past fall. He said the license had cost him so much to get, that he wanted to die with it being active. He was a member of the Texas State Board of Professional Engineers and Structural Engineers Association of Texas. His work ranged from projects like the Hemisfair Arena at the Convention Center and the Henry B. González Convention Center, to several international bridges in the valley, as well as pro bono work for churches of all denominations. One of the things he was most proud of was going to the State Board of Engineers Conventions with his son, also a licensed engineer. He used to brag that there were little or no father-and-son teams of engineers as well-known as them. And to anyone who would listen, he would proclaim that his son Louis was a better engineer than he himself ever dreamed of being.  

Luis was a man of faith throughout his life. He was baptized as a Greek Orthodox, but as a young man, he converted to Catholicism, the religion of his mother, and he remained a faithful and fervent member of the faith and Church. As a young man, he was a member of the Perpetual Adoration, participating in vigils at the Church during Holy Week, serving as a collector during masses, and until his death, maintained fasting during Lent. He participated in a lot of charity work for the Catholic Church, and when asked for his fee by the priests, he was known to tell them to write out a receipt for $1.00 and that was the only price they owed. He had a servant’s heart and was a model of humility. Luis sacrificed throughout his life to provide for his family, and he is sorely missed. 

He was preceded in death by his mother, Eva Saldivar; his father, Tom Faraklas; his father-in-law, Enrique González Treviño; his brother, Tom Faraklas; his wife, Enriqueta González; his sister, Mary Montemayor Faraklas; his sister, Martha Faraklas;  his brother, Bill Faraklas; his brother-in-law, Manuel Enrique González; his grandson, Nicholas Faraklas; and his granddaughter, Alexandra Faraklas.  

He is survived by his children: Martha Bagge, María Faraklas, Louis Faraklas, and Yolanda Faraklas.

His grandchildren: Eva María Lafuente (Rene), Elena Bagge (Juan Carlos), Sergio F. Hernandez, Kristina Good (Colin), Jorge Luis F. Hernández, Ricardo Treviño (Claire), Damian Faraklas (Nikki), Marta Eva Fourie (Barry), Marcela Hernandez (Loy), Daniella Faraklas, Anita Bagge (Michael), Luis Enrique Treviño, and Elizabeth Faraklas.  His niece:  Juana María Sánchez, and her daughter Roxanna Sánchez (Matt) and Teri Hettinger Noal, whom he saw as another daughter.  His Great Grandchildren: Skyler Faraklas (Damian); Sofia Faraklas (Nicholas); Devonté Prince, Aidan Gustafson, Jason Gustafson (Daniella); Vaughn Fourie, Rhys Fourie (Marta); Josephine Treviño, Persephone Treviño (Ricardo); Victoria La Fuente (Eva); and Malakai Bledsoe (Alexandra).

FUNERAL SERVICES

Visitation will begin Wednesday at 5:00 P.M. in The Angelus Chapel with a Rosary to be recited at 6:00 P.M.,

chapel capacity for 75 persons. 

Funeral Mass will be offered Thursday at 12:00 P.M. at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church,

capacity for 100 persons.  Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.