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Javier Cavazos Obituary
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Javier is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Julia; siblings, Juan (Judy) Cavazos Jr., Yolanda Mendoza, Moses (Angie) Cavazos, Norma Ortiz (Carlos), Roel (Mary) Cavazos, Israel (Jackie) Cavazos, Eliud Cavazos. Sister-in-laws Ramona (Clio) Ruiz and Amalia Almazan; Brother-in-law, Thomas (Kim) Gonzalez and several nieces and nephews; and daughter by love, Amanda Montemayor.
Javier worked for the City of Lansing and for Yellow Cab as a taxicab driver. However, anyone who knew "Coach" Cavazos knew his true passion was his love for sports and making an impact on local youth.
In 1964, he founded the Northside Athletic and Recreational Club (NARC). As NARC grew, Cavazos formed the Lansing original Little League in 1972 and coached Lansing youth in Sandy Koufax baseball, Babe Ruth baseball, Pony baseball and Michigan Parks and Recreation baseball. His teams went on to win numerous State and Regional titles over his remarkable 50+ year coaching career. NARC was renamed the Capital Area Youth Sports Association (CAYSA) in 1990. In all, Cavazos' legacy stretches over five decades and includes standout players such as John Smoltz and Bruce Fields. In addition to baseball, he also coached Jr. Pro and YBOA basketball for nearly 40 years and had several of his players advanced to play at the collegiate level. Javier was inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 2021.
Visitation will be held at Palmer, Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Homes Holt/Delhi Chapel on Thursday, October 17 from 12:00pm-3:00pm and 5:00pm-8:00pm. The Funeral Service will be held on Friday, October 18 at 242 Community Church, 2600 Bennett Rd. Okemos, MI 48864, at 11:00am with the family receiving friends beginning at 10:00am.
Coach Cavazos leaves behind an amazing legacy. He played a major role in teaching youth the games of baseball and basketball but more importantly taught them how to persevere, be respectful; hardworking; dedicated; accountable; and coachable individuals. Coach did what he did for the love of the game, love of kids, and love of life.
Mentor to Many – Amigo to Youth!
The Funeral Luncheon will be held immediately following the Service at Lugnuts Stadium at approximately 1:00pm. You can enter "The View" at Lugnuts Stadium from the outfield area, and parking is available across from the Stadium at the Lansing Center. If you wish to donate to help support the Funeral Luncheon for Coach Cavazos, please click the following link: https://gofund.me/5f5cc8a9
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Javier, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Derrick Austin
October 21, 2024
I played basketball for a coach during my Jr. Pro days, and I have many great memories from that time. The coach would often drive us in his old gray van to McDonald's after our games. He did a lot for my neighborhood back in the '80s. Coach will be missed, but I´ll never forget those memories.
Connie Bain
October 16, 2024
Javier was a really good guy. When riding in his taxi he was so friendly and funny. He was very proud of "his taxi". He told me he kept it clean because he cared about his passengers. That was obvious. I first meant Javier at a Lansing Parks and Recreation meeting. I was coaching women´s softball at the time and we just talked ball and he gave me some pointers on softball as well as coaching. He will be missed and he can´t be replaced.
Chris Regan
October 15, 2024
It's hard to put into words what you meant to me Javier. It goes without saying what you did for the youth in this area. But I will never forget the mentoring that you provided for me as a coach and many other coaches who either worked with you or coached against you. I had the privilege to work alongside you and in your organization for 5 years and you trusted me with a lot and I know you didn't do that with everybody and I will always appreciate that. I don't know if you ever realized how much you meant to me in that regard but I will never forget it thanks and love always your friend Chris
Alicia Washington Jackson
October 15, 2024
Coach Cavazos impacted the lives of many kids throughout the years by providing them a positive and competitive environment in the world of sports. He gave the kids who may not have made the cuts for their respective school teams an opportunity to belong and shine with their talents. Job well done, Sir. Javier is loved greatly and will be missed by many. May he now rest peacefully in heaven. My condolences and prayers go out to his family, and may God give you all peace and comfort for your loss. Sincerely, Alicia Washington-Jackson and Victor Jackson
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