Armando Hernandez

Armando Hernandez of Groves, TX passed January 7, 2021 at the age of 84, after a short battle with COVID-19 and pneumonia. Visitation will be Monday, January 11, 2021, 5:00- 8:00 p.m. with a rosary to be prayed at 6:30 PM at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home, 5200 39 ^th Street, Groves, TX. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Burial with military honors will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park. Due to the Covid-19 crisis we are currently in, all visitors are required to wear face mask or face coverings and practice social distancing as mandated by state and county officials.

Mando was born October 15, 1936 to Sofia and Natividad Hernandez in Port Arthur, the youngest of five siblings. He is preceded in death by both parents, his sisters Aurora Trevino and Mina Daniels, and brothers Roy Hernandez and Elias Hernandez. He is preceded in death by one day by his older brother Elias, so their services will be a joint celebration of lives.

After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1955, he enlisted in the Army as a radar technician.

After discharge, Mando returned home and married his wife of 62 years, Sara Dominguez. They were blessed with four sons. They are David and his wife Denise, Andy and his wife Karen, Xavier and his wife Deborah, and Gabe. He was able to hold and cherish nine grandchildren, Mandy, Danielle, Nikki, Michael, Andy, Sarah, Stephen, Gabriel and Jacob, and seven great-grandchildren. He also has two additional great-grandchildren due in a month,that will never be held by “Great Paw-Paw”.

Mando spent many years working at two local refineries, but most of his career was spent walking the mail routes for the Groves and Port Arthur Post Offices. He was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception Catholic churches.

Mando spent most of his time raising his boys to play sports, playing the quarterback for the neighborhood boys on Lay Avenue. Well into his 40’s he was shooting hoops and playing baseball with his sons and anyone else who came around. He was a natural athlete who played fast-pitch softball into his 60’s.

He devoted many years to coaching Little League and he knew how to develop talent, both on and off the field. Gabe played college ball and Xavier pitched professionally. Andy retired as an Army Colonel and David is a Registered nurse at a Houston hospital. He was most proud that all four of his sons had college degrees.

As he grew older, he began hunting more and stayed active at the deer lease until last year.

Mando’s corny jokes, overall sense of humor, and kindness to all will be terribly missed.