Robert E. Castro

Robert Emilio Castro, age 63 of San Antonio, Texas, passed away on April 27, 2021 after a short, tough, and unexpected battle with Covid.

Robert was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he spent his childhood with his three brothers and three sisters. He graduated from Crockett High School in Austin, Texas in 1976, holding the school record on the swim team for the butterfly. He met the love of his life, Angelica (“Gel”) at age 19, and they have been together ever since. They happily raised their four children and taught them to always be there for each other. Robert and Gel held monthly family dinners as the children grew up and had their own families. They officially married over 20 years later on October 7, 2000 after, in his words, he “made sure she was the one.”

Robert worked many different trades, but he is most remembered for his years as a long-haul truck driver for Ruan Transportation. He enjoyed coming home and telling people about all the places he saw and the historical significance of each area. The amount of random trivia he knew was endless. He was also a creature of habit, going to the same hair stylist for over 20 years and to the same corner store to buy lottery tickets using the same numbers (even the clerk knew what numbers he played).

Robert was born weighing in at less than two pounds, but from the start his will to survive was strong. During this life, he dealt with multiple health issues: cardiac disease, kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder, multiple amputations, retina disease, and vascular disease. However, unless you were in his daily life or spoke to one of us, you would never have known how much pain he was in, and through everything he would always smile. Despite all the pain he endured, he always made sure everyone else was taken care of, especially Gel. He medically retired at the age of 49 when he was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. But his fighting spirit did not allow that to stop him. He then became a full-time father, grandpa, and husband.

You could always find Robert enjoying a football or baseball game, be it new or old, watching some historical documentary, or listening to music on his iPad and headphones. Robert loved all of his grandchildren so much. He would lay on the floor and roll around with Jenna, Olivia, and Jessie Rose. He enjoyed watching them entertain the room with their singing and dancing. He was always the first in the pick-up line for Ryan and James after school and would take them for an afterschool treat. He always attended as many of Jaxon’s sports events that he could. He even “snuck” out of one of his hospital stays to attend Lorna and Julian’s high school graduation because he was not going to miss it. He was very proud of all his children, their families, and what they have accomplished.

But most importantly he was loved by so many people, and if he were here right now, he would not approve of us making a big fuss over him, but he’d say, “Whatever Gel wants.”

Robert is preceded in death by his father Emilio Castro-Rivera and his mother Virginmina Alvarado-Castro.

Robert is survived by his wife Angelica Castro, children Michelle (John) Rosales, Rebecca (Raymond) Castro-Rios, Bobby (Kristal) Castro, and Mark (Paige) Castro; grandchildren Lorna, Julian, Jaxon, Ryan, James, Jenna, Olivia and Jessie; siblings Edgar Emilio Castro-Alvarado, Jorge Luis Castro-Alvarado, Virgen Milagros Santos-Castro, Vilma Esther Castro, Eddie Castro, and Maria Castro.