Obituary of Manuel Carrales, Jr.

Our beloved Manuel Carrales, Jr., age 87, was called to our Heavenly Father on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Beatriz and Manuel Carrales, Sr.; his siblings, Anita Carrales, Amanda Perez, and Baldemar Tanguma; and his brothers-in-law, Ephraim Cuevas and Pedro Perez. 

Manuel is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Alma Escobar Carrales; his children, Angela Carrales, David Carrales (Nancy), and Adrian Carrales (Amy Lee); his treasured grandchildren, Liz Carrales and Olivia Carrales; his sister, Aurora Cuevas, and many other loving family members and friends.

Born on October 1, 1935, in San Diego, Texas, Manuel was the youngest of four children and the only son of Beatriz and Manuel Carrales, Sr.  His mother, aunts, and sisters spoiled him growing up, endlessly reading his favorite book, Robinson Crusoe, to him when he was little, and even typing his term papers in college. 

Patient, loving, witty, kind, and devoted are just some of the words that describe Manuel’s character.  Manuel served his country in the U.S. Army; was stationed in Germany; and was honorably discharged in 1960.  Civil service, honor, and duty helped to guide his future career as a petroleum engineer and his approach to life.  As a lifelong government employee for the U.S. Department of Energy, he was not a risk taker.  He was not political.  He had a quiet, but steady way about him that could always calm even the most stressful situations.  

Manuel always believed that miracles could happen with hard work and prayer.  One of those miracles happened when he came home from his military service to attend his father’s funeral and met the love of his life, Alma Escobar Carrales.  Alma lived down the street from his family home and they were soon inseparable.  They married in 1964, moved to Dallas, and were blessed with their first child, Angela.  Soon after their family expanded with the birth of their sons David and Adrian, and they settled in Irving, Texas.  After he retired, Alma and Manuel moved to Austin, Texas to be closer to their sons and their family in South Texas.

Manuel was an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, and Texas Longhorns.  His favor for these teams never wavered, even when it should have.  He could always be seen proudly wearing their shirts, hats, jackets, and even sandals despite their season record.  He loved music, especially Spanish ballads, and was so proud to have given his old acoustic guitar to his granddaughter, Olivia, for classical guitar lessons.

For Manuel, education was not just a goal or a degree to list on a resume.  He was a lifelong learner.  He graduated as valedictorian from Premont High School and later obtained a petroleum engineering degree from Texas A&I, Kingsville.  On any given day you could find him randomly working on math problems, learning Italian on Duolingo, solving crossword puzzles, or reading historical non-fiction books.  His personal library included several foreign language dictionaries, carpentry, and other do it yourself books that he would peruse when working on home projects.  The skills he learned as an engineer influenced all aspects of his life.  He meticulously kept old screws and nails in his kids’ vintage lunchboxes. He recorded his daily activities and even his diet in his personal journal, and he maintained a separate notebook of Spanish sayings that he would use in everyday conversations. He had a passion for history, travel, and language, and would often research travel locations that he hoped to visit or that his family and friends had visited.

A devout Roman Catholic, Manuel started and ended every day with prayer.  He meditated multiple times a day and those quiet times helped him feel closer to God.  He actively served St. Paul Catholic Church in Austin, Texas and Holy Family of Nazareth in Irving, Texas in multiple ways over the years.  He was a Eucharistic Minister; a member and officer of the Legion of Mary and Society of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Paul, a member of the Golden Hearts at St. Paul, a member of St. Vincent De Paul Society; a member of the St. Paul Prayer Group; and an honorary member of St. Paul’s Our Lady of Grace Rosary Makers. 

While he was born “in town,” Manuel loved the ranch land of the Coastal Plains and proudly named his 10-Bar Ranch outside of San Diego, Texas after his father’s cattle brand.  Later in life he and Alma built a small house on the ranch where his grandparents’ ranch house once stood.  He loved spending time at the ranch birdwatching, visiting with family, and working on puzzles. He passed his love of the ranch to his children and grandchildren who continue to enjoy it as much as he did.

The family would like to thank Dr. Carsten Kampe, M.D., Ph.D., FACP of Texas Oncology and the staff, nurses, and doctors at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center for their excellent care.

Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support during this difficult time. 

Austin, Texas: On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, viewing and visitation will be held beginning at 9:00 a.m., with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, 10000 David Moore Rd., Austin, Texas.  A reception for friends and family will follow Mass.  The Rosary and Mass will be live streamed through St. Paul Catholic Church. 

San Diego, Texas: On Friday, August 11, 2023, viewing and visitation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m., with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church, 401 S. Victoria St, San Diego, Texas.  Burial Rites will follow at La Mota de Olmos Cemetery, 1631 E. FM 2295, Benavides, Texas. 

If you would like to make a donation in memory of Manuel Carrales, Jr., please visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.