Joe “Mantequilla” Barguiarena

BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Joe “Mantequilla” Barguiarena, retired owner of Joe B’s and devoted father, passed away on Monday, the 21st of November 2022 at the age of sixty-five.

Joe was born in Brownsville, Texas on January 29, 1957, son of the late Arturo and Delfina Loredo Barguiarena. He was preceded in death by his parents and his dear cousin, Leticia Barguiarena. He is survived by his daughter, Sonya Barguiarena; his former wife, Sylvia Medina Barguiarena; and by his brother, Raymond Barguiarena.

Joe found success in his boxing career early on in life. His nickname “Mantequilla” came from a semblance of a boxer in Corpus Christi, Texas with whom he shared a similar left hook. Joe was the first member of the Brownsville Boys Club boxing team. At eighteen years old as a 127-pound featherweight, he opened the Torneo de Guantes de Oros in Matamoros, Mexico with a 24-second knockout over his opponent. He went on to compete in three Golden Glove (Olympic Qualifying) Tournaments in 1976, 1977, and 1978. His matches were covered extensively by The Brownsville Herald.

His educational background includes an Associate of Arts degree from Texas Southmost College, a B.A. in Political Science and History from Pan American University, and two Master's degrees from the Pan American School of Education in Counseling and Educational Leadership. Joe went on to work as a high school teacher and counselor at the Brownsville Independent School District among other school districts before retiring to pursue his entrepreneurial dream of owning a restaurant - Joe B’s in Olmito, Texas.

His civic background included serving as president of the Kiwanis Daybreakers, serving on the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Board of Directors, Youth Director of the Knights of Columbus, President of IMAGE de Brownsville, and State Vice President of IMAGE de Tejas. He was the Democratic Chairman of Precinct 13 and a member of the Cameron County Democratic Executive Board. In 1984, he received an LBJ Congressional Internship in the U.S. House of Representatives under Congressman Solomon Ortiz. He was later selected to participate in the Institute of World Affairs in Salisbury, Connecticut as a Diplomacy Scholar and in 1985, he was chosen as an Outstanding Young Man of America. The following year, Joe ran for Cameron County Clerk in the Democratic Primary and later for a Board of Trustees position with Texas Southmost College.

On behalf of my father, I would like to thank everyone who had an impact on his life, especially those that helped him along the way. May he rest in peace.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, the 3rd of December 2022 between the hours of one o’clock and four o’clock in the afternoon, with the recitation of the holy rosary to begin at two o'clock Saturday afternoon, immediately followed by a Celebration of Life Service within the East Chapel of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home. The rosary and the Celebration of Life Service will be livestreamed and recorded for viewing. This video may be accessed by clicking here.

Memories of Joe may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com.

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111 .