Emilio Emeterio "Red" Gomez

Emilio Emeterio Red Gomez entered into eternal rest on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at the age of 67, after courageously battling cancer while living in San Benito, Texas. He was born on August 3, 1943 in Brownsville, Texas. He was the son of Alfonso Esteban and Maria Coy Gomez.

He graduated from Brownsville High School in 1963, and became a meatcutter at the age of 18. He joined the Amalgamated Meatcutters Local 408 in 1969 which later became the UFCW in 1979. He worked for the Kroger Company as a head meatcutter operating the highest volume Kroger meat market in the U. S. He became a union steward in 1969, local union trustee in 1972, recording secretary and executive board member of Local 408 in 1974. In 1984 he was hired as a fulltime organizer for Local 408 and completed the Industrial Area Foundation Special Organizing Training. Then became a union representative in 1986, SecretaryTreasurer in 1993 and Local 408 Union president in 1997. He was appointed to the International Union Advisory Committee in 1998.

One of his greatest accomplishment was as a founding member of the United Hispanics of the UFCW now United Latinos of UFCW. Serving as a VicePresident, Executive VicePresident, SecretaryTreasurer before becoming their National President in 2001.

Gomez was also politically active, supporting candidates that supported working people. His union philosophy has always been to represent all union members equally, regardless of race, ethnic background, sex and religion, to the best of my ability.

Emilio is preceded in death by his parents five brothers, Santiago, Mario, Juan, Alejandro, and Alfonso sisters Maria Olympia Myers, Anna Maria Gomez Cowan, and three infant siblings.

Survivors include his wife of nineteen years, Maria del Refugio
De Los Santos Gomez, his three daughters, Melissa Gomez, Nora Hunter and Bettina Gomez and two grandchildren Harrison Reagan Hunter and Lenard Ebin Bazan.

He is also survived by two brothers, Eliberto Gomez and Alvaro Patricia Gomez from Indiana three sisters, Olivia McDonald from Corpus Christi, Texas, Alma Villarreal, Argentina Samuel Garcia from Brownsville, Texas. As well as several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. and continue through 9 p.m. with the recitation of the holy rosary at 7:00 p.m. in the East Chapel at DarlingMouser, Monday, April 18, 2011. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2010 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 1200 E. Lincoln St. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens
Serving as pallbearers will be, William Gerhauser, Bree Oakes, Dale Hoagland, Chris McDonald, Ramon De Los Santos, Frank Sosa. Also serving as honorary
pallbearers will be, Eliberto Gomez, Alvaro Gomez, Tony Rodriguez, Samuel E. Garcia, and Steve Brooks.

Visitation

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Monday, April 18, 2011
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Service

Rosary

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Monday, April 18, 2011
7 p.m.

Funeral

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
1200 Lincoln
Brownsville, TX  78521
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
10 a.m.

Cemetery

Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens
4464 Old Port Isabel Rd.
Brownsville, TX  78526