IN MEMORIUM: On December 18th, 2023, Nicolas Vela Fernández III peacefully departed this world surrounded by the 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 4, 1941, in Corpus Christi, Texas, Nick's formative years were filled with the love of his parents, Nicolas II, and Guadalupe Vela Fernández and three siblings Fred, Sylvia, and Gloria Jean. Nick's childhood was enriched by cherished park visits, movie outings, and drives to San Antonio with his mother and collaborating with his father on construction projects and gaining engineering insights from his paternal grandfather. 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. 

 

In a serendipitous twist, Nick met his future wife, Rosa Flores, in 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 his name had stuck with her after reading about a general in the Mexican revolution with the same name. Even on their first date, Nick told Rosa of his intentions to marry her one day. They married on December 18, 1966, and their marriage lasted an incredibly loving 57 years.

 

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from A & I Kingsville (now Texas A & M), 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. completing engineering projects spanning electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and traffic engineering throughout South Texas. He also worked nationally on consulting projects in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, traffic design, forensic engineering, and construction project management. His expertise also extended to providing training in construction safety and expert witness services.

 

Nick was a trailblazer in continuing education for electricians, co-founding A Plus Education with his wife, who also served as Director. As owner and instructor, Nick has trained thousands of electricians since 1985, helping to strengthen the electrician community in South Texas. Many students have taken classes with Nick for decades and could always count on him to be there for them.

 

His generosity extended beyond his professional achievements, reflecting his compassionate heart and unwavering commitment to helping families who could not afford medical care, donating to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, among other foundations, throughout his life.

 

His lifelong love for writing, shared with his grandson Julian, who also began illustrating his writings, and his daughter Isa, who is editing his writing for publication, has left the family with a written legacy of his quick wit, brilliant mind, incredible sense of humor, and sense of self. 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, writing, and entrepreneurship.

 

Survived by his wife of 57 years, Rosa Flores Fernández, sister Sylvia Fernández Salazar, daughters Ana Maria Fernández, Eva Maria Fernández, Maria Isabel (Isa) Fernández and son Nicolas Flores Fernández, 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 was commemorated on Saturday, December 30th, at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, located at 8200 Old Brownsville Rd, Corpus Christi, Texas. 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 of Nicky by clicking on the link below: 

 

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

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