Larry Casillas Chavez

Larry Casillas Chavez, 78, passed away peacefully at home on February 15 in Abilene, Texas.

Larry was born in Los Angeles, California in 1948, but before he was a year old, his family relocated to Abilene, Texas where he would remain for the next 77 years of his life. It was in Abilene that he built a life rooted in family, music, and community. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1969 and remained connected to Abilene, the city he called home and where he became a local legend.

From a very young age, Larry was a musician at heart. What began with the guitar, gifted to him by his mother during his early teens, grew into a lifelong passion for music and instrument mastery that included piano, upright-bass, horns, vocals, and percussion. He began with many big-band, swing style and jazz groups during the 60’s, and 70’s. He regularly performed at the Abilene Country Club, the Petroleum Club, Dyess Air Force Base, and other venues throughout Abilene and the surrounding area. He participated in the Battle of the Bands and made the front page of the Abilene Reporter News. Music was not only something he loved, it was something he lived, becoming both a personal passion and a second profession throughout his life. For Larry, his musical friends were part of his family and he loved them as much as he loved the music.

Larry lived a life full of unique experiences. Over the years, he explored many career paths, including working as a funeral home assistant, ambulance driver, assistant to the coroner, taxidermist, rattlesnake wrangler, security guard, in city waste management, and as a repossession agent. He ultimately found his daily stride as a professional driver, dedicating 20 years to serving the community as a driver for Abilene’s City Link bus system before retiring. During his 20 years of service the Abilene community knew him as one of the friendliest drivers. He even received awards and written compliments from those he carried on his bus. After retiring from City Link, he continued his career in CDL transportation, driving across the country for large carriers. He later focused his remaining years on transporting heavy loads of rock from the mines to local building sites for Big Country Stone. He was known for his stoicism, kindness, and generosity. Larry never met a stranger, he had a way of connecting with people wherever he went. Whether it was stopping to help someone stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire or a dead battery, or simply offering a kind word or giving a stranger a ride to the store. He lived with a quiet compassion that left a lasting impact on those he interacted with.

Larry deeply loved his animals and even more so, his family. He found joy in the simple things: cooking hearty breakfasts, creating his well-known concoction of squash, cheese, onion, and meat, and spending time searching for hidden treasures at pawn shops, flea markets, and garage sales. He loved fishing and would often take friends and family to local lakes and creeks and sometimes to the Gulf of America to fish for sharks. His favorite time of the year was Halloween, where he would often set up sneaky scares for unaware visitors asking for candy. He also had an uncanny ability to spot things along the roadside, finding cash or other unexpected items, something those close to him will always remember with a smile. "We have to turn around, I saw something," he would often proclaim and swing a vehicle off the road so he could retrieve his find.

For those who knew him, Abilene will be forever filled with his memories: his favorite places to eat, play music, hang out, and the parks where he gathered with friends and family. The place where he helped you, the echoes of his music and maybe a glimpse of his face reflected in the fountains downtown. For those who knew him his loss will remain in our hearts for many years. We can smile knowing he is with God playing lead guitar and singing with that big jazz band in the sky. Larry will be remembered as an amazing husband, a wonderful father, for his music, his generosity, his quiet strength, and the way he made people feel special wherever he went. His legacy lives on in the memories he created, the lives he touched, and the family he loved so deeply.

He is survived by his beloved wife, MaryAnn Chavez; his son Lauro Chavez and wife Kristina, and their children Catolina, Antonio, and Francesca; his son Carlos and child Lourdes; his daughter Diane and family, and his son Michael. He is also survived by his brother Luis Chavez and family; nieces Debbie, Priscilla, and Frances; nephews Rudy and Manuel; along with a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Victor Chavez and Francis Casillas, and his sister, Agnes Bruner.

There will be no formal services at this time. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.