Juan Arrambide Mercado's Obituary
Juan Arrambide Mercado, 86, nacio el 13 de Nov de 1933 en Sabinas Hidalgo, N.L. Mexico y entro en la gloria del Señor el 24 de Mayo 2020 en Houston, Texas. El se ha reunido con su esposa Romelia Mercado Flores, sus padres; Ignacio Mercado y Rita Arrambide, hermanos; Gilberto Mercado Arrambide, Jaime Mercado Arrambide, Ignacio Mercado Arrambide, Jesus Mercado Arrambide, Fidel Mercado Arrambide que se le adelantaron en el camino y hoy se encuentran reunidos en el reino de Dios. Juan se crio desde muy temprana edad y su juventud en Comales, Tamaulipas alli fue en donde el se enamoro se unio en matrimonio el 27 de enero 1958 a Romelia y la vida los mantuvo unidos por 61 años. En 1973 ellos se mudaron junto con sus siete hijos a Houston, Texas. Sus sobrevivientes lo extrañaran y recordaran con todo su corazon, entre ellos se encuentran; sus hijas; Olga Lydia Vela y esposo Alejandro, Romelia Oneida Ramirez y esposo Pedro, sus hijos; Juan Carlos Mercado y esposa Gloria Magaly, Joselito Mercado y esposa Loriela, Jorge Luis Mercado y esposa Esmeralda, Javier Eduardo Mercado y esposa Kimberly, Manuel Mercado y esposa Cynthia Ann, sus nietos; Alejandro Vela, Jr. Yvonne Crystal Vela, Adrian Vela, Andrew Vela, Bianca Mercado Bernal, Jennifer Mercado, Diego Uzcategui, Efrain Uzcategui, Oscar Uzcategui, Joselito Mercado Jr., Erik Aaron Mercado, Michael Allen Mercado, Janel Christine Mercado, Christopher Julian Mercado, Julia Stella Mercado, Xochitl Erika Ramirez, Itxel Nayeli Ramirez, Kelsey Mercado, Natalie Clarissa Castillo, Pedro Jesus Ramirez, Crystal Ramirez, Jeanette Cardenas, Steven Gregory Mercado, Madeleine Mercado, Angela Sierra, Sammy Battaglia, numerosos bisnietos, entre sus sobrevivientes su hermana, Bertha Mercado de Solis, y su hermano, Jaime C. Mercado Arrambide y de mas familiares.
Our father was a wonder, gentle, loving, caring man. A man who lived a life of integrity. A man, who, with the help of my mom raised seven children on a very modest income. A man who would literally give the shirt off his back to help someone in need. He was someone we all admired as kids. One of the things I admired most about my father was his genuine love for his family.
He always put us before himself. At the dinner table, he would wait until we were finished eating before getting a second helping. I guess he wanted to make sure we didn’t leave the table hungry. He would ask us, “quieres mas, ay mas”. Sometimes the food would run out. Dad would then gather the scraps of meat off our plate and that would be his seconds.
I admired my dads work ethic. He was a hard worker and very dedicated to ensuring we never lacked any of the basic necessities. I don’t ever remember a time when he and mom didn’t work to provide for us. As a small child, maybe 5 years old, I recall asking my mom to wake me up early so that I could see my dad go off to work after eating his breakfast and drinking a cup of coffee. I listened to the conversations they had and saw the love they shared. After he left I would watch cartoons and drift off to sleep again. I slept comfortably because I knew I was loved and cared for.
As kids he and mom would take us places on the weekends. The zoo, Galveston, or the park were just some of the places we’d go. Sometimes a bucket of chicken and a trip to the park was all we needed to relax for a while and enjoy each other’s company. I think this was also their strategy to keep us from destroying our house.
Dad loved telling jokes. When we got together on special occasions, we would ask him to tell us jokes. Many times they were the same jokes he had told countless times before but we didn’t care. There was something about his delivery of the joke that got us to laugh every time.
Dad loved God with all his heart just as mom did. He took us to church every Sunday and on Wednesday nights. He read his bible nightly before going to sleep. His old bible, worn and distressed, was a fixture on the end table next to the bed.
There came a time when we could no longer attend church because mom and dad began working on the weekends to make ends meet. But this never stopped him from reading the Word and praying for each one of his kids. He and my mom would often kneel at the side of their bed to pray. When tough times came our way, and they came often, we always knew where to find them.
Philippians 4:6 tells us “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” I feel as though mom and dad lived out this verse daily.
Several years ago, I’m happy to say, I had a great conversation with my dad. I was able to tell him how much I appreciated him. How much I loved him. I thanked him for bringing us to the United States and giving us a great opportunity at life. I cherish that moment we had and will always remember.
Thank you Dad for everything you and mom did to raise us. Thank you for keeping our bellies full, our bodies warm, and our hearts filled with love. May you now enjoy the fruits of your labor in heaven with mom, loved ones that came before you, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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