Roberto Salas

Roberto Salas, 60, of McAllen, TX was born on May 13, 1960 to Nestor and Josefa Sotelo Salas. he was granted his angel wings on Friday, April 16, 2021.

Roberto is preceded in death by his parents, Nestor and Josefa Sotelo Salas, daughter Venessa Salas, brothers Felix Salas, Perfecto Salas, sister Maria M. Ortiz, niece Alicia L. Ortiz and nephew Juan “Joey” Jose Salas.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Aleyda Salas, their daughter, Veronica (Gregg A.) Saenz, four grandchildren Gregg N., Venessa E., Grayson D., and Verity J. Saenz.  He is also survived by three brothers, Esiquio “Chico” (Lisa) Salas, Quirino Salas, Martin Salas, five sisters, Isidra “Chila” Garcia, Juana Fonseca, Asuncion Salas, Ignacia Salas, and Eloisa (Javier) Guerrero.  He leaves behind numerous Godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and many lifetime friends, colleagues, and students.

Roberto graduated from McAllen High School in 1978.  In 1984 he obtained his Associates of Applied Science in Building Construction Technology from Texas State Technical Institute.  Through perseverance and discipline, Roberto graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Construction in 1990 from Texas A & M Corpus Christi.  

Roberto’s first two years of teaching were with the County of Hidalgo, in Edinburg, TX.  He then taught for 28 years at Sharyland ISD, 21 at Sharyland High School and 7 at Sharyland Pioneer High School.  He was selected by his colleagues as Sharyland High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2005-2006, and earned the District Secondary Teacher of Year award that same year.  At Sharyland ISD, he mentored numerous students and new teachers, and was respected by colleagues and administrators alike.  The students kept Mr. Salas young and his goal was to be in the classroom until his last days.  He was an active advisor with his beloved SkillsUSA.  Year after year, he grew his chapter, took his students to competitive events, leadership conferences, and had a positive track record of developing district, state, and national officers.  He had a well-renowned program across the state, served on the Board of Directors, and was named District Advisor of the Year for 2004 and 2012, Regional Advisor of the Year in 2005, and State Advisor of Year in 2004.  He also made numerous appearances at SkillsUSA National Conferences in many events, although his all-time favorite event was TeamWorks.  He will be missed immensely by his school family, students, and CTE colleagues near and far.

Roberto was the glue that kept his immediate and extended family together.  His greatest loves were his wife Aleyda, and girls Venessa and Veronica.   He was ecstatic when he became a Grandpa.  His son-in-law Gregg was someone he knew would love and care for his family like he did.  Roberto and his wife love traveling, crafting, and spending time with their family. 

He will be remembered fondly for his jokes, chuckling laugh, and witty comebacks.  His signature line to the family kids was, “Who do you love more?  You can only pick one!”, and kids would say “both!”  He would often call and say, “Let’s get together at the family ranch, I’ll cook the burgers.”  He was the type of person that was always there to extend a helping hand.  He loved all his nieces and nephews, and they knew they could always count on him, and respectfully feared him, oftentimes jokingly saying, “Chingao, the boss is coming!”.  No one ever wanted to disappoint him, contrary to that, they wanted to make him proud.

Roberto will forever be in our hearts and missed dearly.  He was a great architect of an exemplary life, and those who had the opportunity to know him, will be forever positively changed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping with social distancing orders, all necessary restrictions will be observed in order to protect the health and safety of those in attendance. Wear face coverings while inside building. Continue to practice social distancing while inside the funeral home chapel. We continue to ask that those at risk or those not feeling well stay home and reach out to the family through our obituary page.

A gathering of family and friends will be Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM with the recital of the Holy Rosary at 6:30 PM at Rivera Funeral Home in McAllen. Memorial mass will be Friday, April 23, 2021 at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Burial of ashes will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Cemetery in Pharr.

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