CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A whole neighborhood in Corpus Christi is honoring Army veteran Rogelio Reyes by putting up American flags on the sidewalk and on their houses this Fourth of July.
Reyes passed away from COVID-19 earlier this week at 64 years old. Neighbors said he was a staple in their community.
“He was a very handy man. He would always cut everybody’s yard here, he would help you fix your house. He would not charge you a dime,” said Linda Cavazos, his neighbor.
Cavazos said one of her favorite memories with him is when they had a small argument, but at the end of it they started laughing. She said he was always willing to help and be a friend to everyone.
“I just think we’re going to really miss him a lot because we won’t probably have another neighbor like Mr. Reyes,” she said.
He leaves behind 8 kids. His daughter, Royalisa Reyes, describes her dad as loving, caring, and hardworking. She also said she enjoyed fishing with him as a kid and that he was a man who loved to be outdoors.
She said it means a lot to her and her family that the neighborhood would honor her father with the flags.
"Definitely funny, had a sense of humor, for those that didn’t know my dad, he’s made everyone laugh at least one time so that’s definitely something we remember about him,” Royalisa Reyes said.
The flags will be up until Rogelio is buried later this week. A local veteran has offered to give the Reyes family his Army uniform because Reyes’ was destroyed years ago.
