Bonifacio “Barney” Urtiaga

Bonifacio ( Barney) Urtiaga from San Antonio, Texas passed away at his home in Pasadena, Texas on Saturday August 31, 2024.

Barney was born on July 5, 1940 in San Antonio, Texas. He was proud of his upbringing and his family. He enlisted in The United States Navy in 1959 and served until 1965 with Honorable Discharge. He was a proud Veteran and proud of his country. 

Barney worked for Luby’s for many years as a General Manager in San Antonio and later transferred to Houston where he met his wife Olga (Urtiaga). From there he pursued a career at Johnson Controls where he spent many years which led to him starting his own company, C&C Hydraulics. Barney decided to sell his company and went on to work for other companies and eventually settled at Brown & Root where he retired. 

Barney was very handy and sometimes known as Mr. FIX It. He knew how to fix anything from plumbing to HVAC repairs and loved projects and keeping busy. He always told his younger daughter, don’t show others how it’s done, just show them the finished project. 

He loved playing with his slingshot.  He once protected his younger sister from a snake by using the slingshot he always carried in his back pocket ( you would think he was Dennis the Menace). He taught his younger daughter and grandkids to shoot. Barney loved going to flea markets, fishing, cooking, talking to neighbors, walking around the park, feeding the ducks, doing push ups and taking it easy, as he would say. 

He very much loved to make his family and friends laugh with his many stories from the Navy, C&C Hydraulics, Brown & Root, Broadway Baptist, and so on. He always had a story to tell. He loved listening to music like Dean Martin, B.J, Thomas, Bobby Darin, The Carpenters, and the Everly Brothers. 

His life was his grandchildren especially, Cheryl who he raised . Barney loved spending time with his grandchildren and was always worried if they had enough to eat. He taught all his grandchildren how to cook and he was proud of that. He was so proud of his grandchildren and was happy that they found their place in life. 

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his father, Miguel Urtiaga; his mother, Cipriana Hernandez Urtiaga; sister, Helen Medina( Richard,brother-in-law, Meredith, niece ) brothers, Johnny Urtiaga and Oscar Urtiaga. 

He is survived by his wife Olga Urtiaga; daughters, Cynthia , Carol Ann Urtiaga-Alvarez( Edgar Alvarez ) and son Steven.  Brother, Mike Urtiaga Jr. (Gini); sisters, Olga Lopez (Leandro) and Rosie Trojanowski; grandchildren, Cheryl Adame (Jesse), Ian Alvarez, Abigail Alvarez and numerous nieces and nephews.

Barney was a longtime member of Broadway Baptist Church ( Broadway Church) in Southeast Houston. 

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Gary Sinise Foundation. 

https://donate.garysinisefoundation.org/give/472380/#!/donation/checkout

                     

       

                               INTERMENT 

                         GATE TIME 1:30PM

    HOUSTON NATIONAL VETERAN CEMETERY 

 10410 VETERANS MEMORIAL DR. HOUSTON                                         TEXAS 77038