MERCEDES, TEXAS - Lupe Hernandez, at 66 years of age, departed to heaven on August 11, 2020. Born in Corsicana, Texas on December 12, 1953, to his parents Fidel Hernandez and Regina Hernandez, he was raised as the oldest son of his siblings: Santos Hernandez of San Antonio, Carolina Lopez (Jose) of Mercedes, Dalia Salinas (David) of Mercedes, Angie Perez of Mercedes, and Tina Perez (Dayton) of Harlingen. Those who knew him would describe him as a devoted father to his sons Eli Hernandez, from Brownsville, Tx and Isaac Hernandez, from Edinburg, Tx. He was always available for his sons and would call to check on them every day. He made it a priority in life to let them know how much he loved them and guided them to be upstanding men as husbands and fathers. Lupe was a very caring father-in-law to Maria Cristina Gonzalez Hernandez (Isaac) and Erika Arredondo (Eli). Lupe led by example as an excellent father, son, grandfather, brother, father-in-law, and loyal friend. He valued spending time with all of his family, and his greatest joy was playing with his grandchildren and showing them how much he loved them. His grandchildren: Joanna Faith Hernandez, Isaac Evan Hernandez, Honalee Nen Hernandez, Eli Hernandez II, and Mason Hernandez, were his greatest pride & he loved them unconditionally. As a lifelong resident of Mercedes, he was well-respected in town. He was a very charming and approachable man who could quickly make friends and acquaintances with people he encountered. Lupe was a great listener and good at giving advice about life. Coming from migrant farm workers, he went on to fulfill his father’s ambition for his children to have a better opportunity for a successful future through education. Lupe was the first in his family to graduate from college, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree at Pan American University. He began his career as a teacher where he taught for 13 years at La VIlla ISD and continued at Santa Maria ISD for 20 years. After his retirement from teaching he worked as a car salesman at several dealerships and sold different types of insurance. He was smart, hard-working, and a people person. Lupe had many passions and joys in life. He loved drinking coffee & going out to eat at restaurants, and often gave recommendations for good places to eat. He enjoyed making food for his family and often had them over for barbacoa in the morning, or to share brisket in the afternoon that he smoked the night before. Lupe loved to shop and he frequented flea markets, always on the hunt for a great bargain. Generally, Lupe loved visiting new places and catching up with friends. He loved sports and was a great fan of the Dallas Cowboys. As a season ticket holder for the Mercedes Tigers, he would attend every football game and looked forward to the annual Tigers Vs Jackets rivalry. He was also a fan of the San Antonio Spurs and attended games on occasion with his family. Lupe will be highly missed by his family and friends. He is at peace drinking coffee with his mother and father, catching up after quite some time. He is watching over his loved ones from heaven and meeting the ones he never got a chance to meet. Viewing will be held at Rudy Garza Funeral Home of Mercedes on Tuesday August 8, 2020. Public visitation will be from 1 pm-8 pm, and rosary will be at 6pm. Mass will take place Wednesday August 19, at 11 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Mercedes with interment to follow at Mercedes Memorial Restlawn Cemetery. Funeral services are under the direction and care of Rudy Garza Funeral Home of Mercedes Texas.