Sir Knight John Augustus Romani

November 23, 1938-December 14, 2019

Surrounded by his family and sustained through the prayers of the Catholic Church in his final hours, Sir Knight John Augustus Romani died on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at Laredo Medical Center.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Beatrice, his parents, Luigi Romani and Mary Romani Sotelo, his paternal uncle, Giovanni Augusto Romani, his maternal uncle and aunt, Joey and Rose Castro, his cousin Sylvia Castro Stoneking  his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Andrew Ernest and Gloria Smith, his sister-in-law, Mattie Smith-Gomez, his step-father Nestor Sotelo and his half-brother Nicholas Sotelo.

John is survived by his only child, Michelle Marie Romani, his cousin David (Elaine) Castro, his niece Kathy "Pee Wee" Carlow, his sisters-in-law, Gloria (Robert) Jamison, Josephine (Sergio) Vega, Maria de Jesus "Chuchi" (Martin) Helfrich and Ruby (Robert) Gonzalez; his brothers-in-law, Andrew Ernest (Idolinda) Smith, Jr., Henry (Mary Elvira) Smith and Chester (Julieta) Smith; numerous nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews, and his closest friends, Charles (Norma) Cavagnetto and David Paredes.

John was born on November 23, 1938 in Evergreen Park, Illinois.  Bouts with childhood asthma prompted his family to move to Laredo in 1948 where they were befriended by the family of George and Nieves Pappas who offered them support and the priests at St. Peter the Apostle, which became John's spiritual home for nearly 71 years.  John graduated from St Peter's Memorial School in 1954 and then from Martin High School in 1958.  He completed one year of college at what was then Laredo Junior College.

He began a 25-year career in retail, having worked his way up to Assistant General Manager at McClellens's Variety Store. That is where he met the love of his life, the former Mary Beatrice Smith. The couple married on June 20, 1965, and had an only child, Michelle Marie.  Throughout his tenure at McClelland's, John won numerous awards for sales.  He remained with McClellan's until 1983.

In the early 1970s, John and Mary were involved with the Catholic Youth Organization, under the Diocese of Corpus Christi.  He and Mary became the adoptive parents of several hundred youth.  John established basketball teams that competed throughout the Laredo Deanery and organized the first successful CYO conference with the future Bishop Raymond Pena.  He received the "Man of the Year" award for his efforts.

In 1968, he joined the Knights of Columbus and served as Grand Knight, District Deputy, Field Agent and Faithful Navigator of the Msgr. George Gloeckner Memorial Assembly at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, the assembly that he founded shortly after Mary's death.  While District Deputy, he earned several awards, having founded many Councils.  His proudest achievement was founding the "Running of the Silver Rose" of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  He had removed the Silver Rose from storage and introduced the practice of having a relay from parish to parish so that the faithful could share in the Knights of Columbus's gift of the Rose to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico.  As Field Agent, he earned distinction as a member of the President's Club.

In 1990, he began serving St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion during Mass as well as to the elderly, infirmed and home-bound.  He also trained altar servers.  He did this for almost 26 years until his health forced him into retirement.

John enjoyed his retirement in the company of his wife until her death in 1994, and with his daughter.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Francisco I. Pena for his medical care, Brush Country Home Health and Med Life Home Care for providing skilled nursing, Fr. Heleodoro Lozano, Fr. Victor, Brother Bruno and Fr. Joe Cadena for being with him in his final moments, Don Francisco Valero for bringing him Holy Communion, Rev. Msgr. James E. Harris and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart Children's Home for support, Dr. Norberto Alvarez, Dr. Moshem Mahani, Dr Carlos Cigarroa, Dr. Oyalinka Holt and Dr. Reynaldo Godines for their care towards the end and the staff from Satellite Dialysis for caring for him throughout these last three years.

Visitation will be on Thursday, December 19, 2019, from 5PM to 9PM with a Vigil for the Deceased at 7PM , at Hernandez Lopez and Sons Funeral Chapels, 800 Boston, Laredo, Texas.  The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00AM at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church on Friday, December 20, 2019 , with the procession departing the Funeral Home at 10:25AM .  Interment will follow in the family plot at the Laredo City Cemetery.