IN MEMORIUM: On December 18th, 2023, Nicolas Vela Fernández III, gracefully departed this world, surrounded by the comforting embrace of his family, on his 57th wedding anniversary. Affectionately known as Jr. by family and Nick by friends and colleagues, he has bestowed upon us a legacy that will endure for eternity. 

 

Born on April 4th, 1941, in Corpus Christi, Texas, Nick's formative years were filled with the love of his parents, Nicolas II (Nico), and Guadalupe (Lupe) Vela Fernández. He attended Davy Crockett Elementary School, Cunningham Jr. High, and Ray High School in Corpus Christi, where he played the trumpet in the marching band, and enjoyed playing at football games and the Buccaneer parades. 

 

Nick's childhood was enriched by cherished moments with his mother during park visits, drives to San Antonio, movie outings, collaborative construction projects with his father, and gaining engineering insights from his grandfather. His special bond with his three siblings—Fernando (Fred), who shared his enthusiasm for the marching band, as well as spending time with his sisters, Sylvia and Gloria Jean whom he felt very protective over. Additionally, they loved feeding the seagulls and being near the ocean.  

 

In a serendipitous twist, Nick met his future wife, Rosa Flores, who had a sociology class attended by his brother Fred. Once he discovered Rosa was in the class, he promptly added it to his schedule to meet his future wife. Rosa could not believe her luck, because she had seen a picture of him in the yearbook and thought he had already graduated. She often spoke about how she also read his name before in a book about a General with his name and how the name always stuck with her. Even on their first date, Nick told Rosa of his intentions to marry her one day. They later married on December 18, 1966 and honeymooned in beautiful Mexico City with their marriage lasting an incredibly loving 57 years. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from A & I Kingsville (now Texas A & M), he continued his education with graduate courses in adult education at The University of Texas at San Antonio. 

 

Professionally, Nick held pivotal roles as the Building Official in the City of Corpus Christi, Senior Engineer in the City of San Antonio (working on Traffic, Electric and Construction Engineering), Electrical Engineer at Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland and Kelly AFB, and Project Engineer at San Antonio Water System. He was also the President and Principal Engineer of Flores-Fernández, Engineering, Inc. He also worked in consulting projects in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, traffic design, forensic engineering, and construction project management 

 

Beyond his professional pursuits, he was a trailblazer in education for continuing education for electricians, co-founding A Plus Education with his wife, who also served as Director. As owner and instructor of A+ Education Services, Nick trained thousands of Electricians since 1985 and completed engineering projects spanning electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and traffic engineering throughout South Texas. His expertise extended to providing training in construction safety and expert witness services. Nick's commitment to helping families who could not afford hospital payments for children who were ill was profound. He donated to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital and Texas Public Radio throughout his life. His generosity extended beyond his professional achievements, reflecting his compassionate heart and unwavering commitment to helping others. 

 

His diverse passions included a lifelong love for writing, shared with his grandson Julian, who also began illustrating his writings. Renowned for his quick wit, brilliant mind, incredible sense of humor, and unwavering commitment to helping others, Nick's influence transcended his professional achievements. He found joy in watching his favorite team, San Antonio Spurs, reading Tom Clancy books, savoring classic detective series like Columbo and Monk and teaching his grandkids how to play the piano. Above all, he relished listening to the soulful tunes of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and watching his favorite movie, The Blues Brothers. He shared a special connection with each of his children, collaborating on shared interests in science, sports, art and entrepreneurship. He even worked several years alongside Isa at the City of San Antonio and later, he shared an office with his daughter Eva, who founded a company and worked alongside him and his many students. 

 

Survived by his wife of 57 years, Rosa Flores Fernández, sister Sylvia Fernández Salazar, daughters Ana Maria Fernández, Eva Maria Fernández, Maria Isabel (Isa) Fernandez, and son Nicolas Flores Fernandez, IV and wife, Dawn Schranz Fernández. Nick's unconditional love extended to his grandchildren Julian Xavier Ramirez, Anabella Maria Ramirez, Felix Liev Fernández, and Remi Sol Fernández, as well as extended family and friends, Eduardo Duéñez and Reynalda (Bibi) Maldonado. He is predeceased by his parents Nicolas Villegas, Fernández II, Guadalupe Vela Fernández, Grandmother Sara Villegas Fernández, brother Fernando (Fred) Fernández, and sister, Gloria Jean Fernández Garcia.  

 

Nick's life will be commemorated with a Rosary on Saturday, December 30th, at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, located at 8200 Old Brownsville Rd, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415. A private family viewing will commence at 9:00 am, followed by public viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 am, a mass at 10:30 am and interment at 11:30 am. The commemoration will conclude with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in his memory. 

 

A special thank you to all of our family, friends, colleagues and medical staff for their kindness and support. Please join us in this celebration by adding your memories: 

 

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/corpus-christi-tx/nicolas-fernandez-11590175

​