Visitation: St. Gertrude's Catholic School, 1120 S. 8th Street, Kingsville, TX 78363: August 18, 3:00-7:00 pm.
Rosary: St. Gertrude's Catholic School, 1120 S. 8th Street, Kingsville, TX 78363: August 18, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Mass: St. Gertrude's Catholic School, 1120 S. 8th Street, Kingsville, TX 78363: August 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Internment: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209, August 25, 1:45-2:00 p.m.
KINGSVILLE, Texas - Tributes have poured in for Juan Manuel Escobar, the Roma Mighty Gladiator, former U.S. Marine, Purple Heart recipient, RGV Sports Hall of Famer, Kleberg County Judge, state representative, and school board chairman.
He passed away August 12, aged 76.
Here are some of the tributes that have poured in:
Tío Juan was a true statesman and the type of person you don’t often get the privilege of meeting in a lifetime. He loved Roma and Rancho Escobares, he loved being a Gladiator, and he was profoundly proud of having served his country.
For those who may not know, Tío Juan was also an outstanding athlete. He was a tremendous track star in high school and Roma High School’s first All-State basketball player. Had Roma High School had varsity football in the late 1960s, I have no doubt Tío Juan probably would have been an All-State football player as well.
His life was defined by service. He proudly served our country as a United States Marine during the Vietnam era, and while in military service, he had the distinct honor of serving as a pallbearer for President Lyndon B. Johnson. He later continued that commitment to public service as a school board president, county judge, and state representative.
It is very sad to hear of his passing. Tío Juan was a proud man who deeply understood the importance of service—to his country, his community, and others. He had a tremendous love for Roma, Rancho Escobares, Starr County, and the people he represented throughout his life.
I will especially miss our conversations about the Escobar family tree. He was an expert historian and a superb storyteller who could bring our family’s history to life. Those are conversations and stories I will always treasure.
May you rest in peace, Tío Juan.
I am sorry to hear this sad news. He was a great patriot and a gentleman in every respect. My blessings are with him and his family.
Juan Manuel Escobar, a proud Escobares Native and Roma Mighty Gladiator, Marine veteran, and public servant, passed away on August 12, 2026.
Born March 11, 1950, in Escobares, Starr County, Escobar was a 1969 Roma High School graduate who put Gladiator basketball on the map. As a 6-1 center he averaged 24 points per game, earned first-team All-State honors, and later competed in track at the state meet. He was inducted into the Roma ISD Hall of Honor, the Laredo Hall of fame in 2020 and, in the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, served with the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam, was wounded in action, and received the Purple Heart. He later served in the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C.
Escobar earned a biology degree from what is now UTRGV, built a career with the Border Patrol and Homeland Security, then served as Texas State Representative for District 43 (2003–2009) and Kleberg County Judge (2011–2014).
He is remembered as an athlete, soldier, leader, genealogist, and role model for the Roma community he loved.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Rosie Gonzalez Escobar, his daughter Bonnie and his son Eddie, and grandchildren Jacob and Brandon.
The Roma ISD Gladiator Nation and South Texas mourn a true legend.
I am saddened to hear about the passing of former State Representative and Kleberg County Judge Juan Manuel Escobar, a proud native of Roma, Texas, whose life was defined by a deep commitment to service and the pursuit of excellence.
A 1969 graduate of Roma High School, Juan was the eldest of four Escobar brothers who became standout Gladiator athletes and helped bring lasting recognition to their school and community. He later served our country as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action, and went on to serve at Marine Barracks 8th & I in Washington, D.C., where he served as a pallbearer for Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry S. Truman. He then built a distinguished career with the U.S. Border Patrol before continuing his public service in the Texas House of Representatives and later as Kleberg County Judge. I had the privilege of serving alongside Juan in the Legislature and was grateful for his friendship and dedication to the people of South Texas.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him. South Texas will remember Juan for his lifetime of service, his dedication to his community, and the example he set for generations to follow.
Juan Manuel Escobar dedicated his life to helping others, including as a Marine Corps veteran, spending 25 years with Border Patrol, and serving as a former State Representative and Kleberg County Judge. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and our entire South Texas community as we mourn his loss. May we continue to honor his life each passing day through our own acts of service and goodwill.
I knew Juan personally. He was a state representative. He was a county judge. We would keep in communication with each other. He was a down-to-earth individual that really believed in public service. Juan was just one of those special individuals. You know, there are people that get into politics because they want to make a difference. They get into politics because they feel politics is can be a positive force to improve the quality of life, and that's what Juan was all about.
I am absolutely gutted to learn that Juan Escobar died today. He and I were close friends for how long? I guess I first met him when I was an intern at the Kingsville Record at 18 and he was a border patrol officer.Then when I came back as managing editor of the Kingsville Record, he was Border Patrol Sector Chief for Falfurrias or Sarita. He educated me so much about immigration patterns, and took me me out with the agents to learn how things really worked. He even arranged for me to be “deported” to Mexico with a bus load of immigrants so I could understand the experience better.
He later went on to become Kleberg County Judge and a state legislator.
He was an incredibly handsome charismatic man. How tall was he anyway? 6 foot 6? And he has such fascinating and varied interests. He knew all about the history of his homeland of Starr County right on the border. He had traced his own genealogy way back. I think his family came from the beautiful little town of Mier in Tamaulipas, originally. He loved the old corridos, and played guitar and wrote his own corridos.
He was a Viet Nam vet and was fascinated when I moved to Vietnam, He was a pallbearer at LBJs funeral.
I love you Juan and am so grateful you have been an important part of my life. Descanse en Paz and flights of angels guard you. (And I chose the Tigres del Norte song with some irony because I think it would amuse him, but there was also a layer of truth to it). “Jefe de Jefes.”
Juan Manuel Escobar was born on March 11, 1950, in Escobares, Texas, to Filomeno Escobar and Rosita Vera Escobar. Juan passed away on August 12, 2026, at the age of 76 in Kingsville, Texas. He was a gentle and caring person who was loved by all who knew him.
Juan was a 1969 graduate of Roma High School, where he helped put Gladiator basketball on the map. As a 6-foot-1 center, he averaged 24 points per game, earned First-Team All-State honors, and later competed in track at the state meet. He was inducted into the Roma ISD Hall of Honor, the Laredo Hall of Fame in 2020, and the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
After high school, Juan joined the United States Marine Corps and served in combat in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action and later awarded the Purple Heart. Upon returning from Vietnam, Juan was stationed at Marine Corps Barracks 8th & I in Washington, D.C., where he served as a body bearer and was part of the Presidential Honor Guard. During this time, he was a pallbearer for President Harry S. Truman, President Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, and Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated Marine.
After returning to South Texas, Juan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Texas–Pan American, now known as UTRGV. He began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol in Falfurrias, Texas. He later moved to Kingsville as a supervisor and became Patrol Agent in Charge of the Kingsville Station. During his career, Juan helped establish the K-9 program and BORTAC unit, both of which continue to be used today. He retired from Homeland Security in 2003.
Juan began his political career as a member of the school board, holding many positions, including president, during his years in Falfurrias and Kingsville, Texas. After retiring in 2003, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented District 43 until 2009. He later continued his public service in local government and was elected Kleberg County Judge.
Juan is survived by his wife of 54 years, Rosie Gonzalez Escobar; his daughter, Bonnie; his son, Eddie, and daughter-in-law, Marleena; and his grandchildren, Branden and Jacob.
To honor the remarkable life of Juan, there will be a visitation on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, starting at 3:00 PM, with a rosary beginning at 7:00 PM, at St. Gertrude Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will take place the following day on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM at St Gertrude Catholic Church. The interment will be held on August 25, 2026, at 1:45 PM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, where he will receive military Honors.
Juan will be remembered as an athlete, soldier, leader, genealogist, father, husband, and role model to many in the community.
