By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
While I never worked for Dr. Jose Perez, I can honestly say I respected him for his dedication and devotion to education and our community.
News of his passing Saturday left me sad because it meant I wouldn’t see him on the sidelines of Rams football anymore. I can’t remember a game I attended that we wouldn’t bump into each other on the sidelines. We’d shake hands, I asked him about his drive to the stadium (if we were at an out of town game), and we’d talk about a variety of topics before going our separate ways and spending the game doing our own things.
There were times when he would ask me about game scenarios, what the Rams’ chances were and other sports-related questions, but he always focused on the game. I feel he was there to support all his kids – from the players to the band to the cheerleaders and every other student involved – and his coaches as a good boss would. But it didn’t matter if it was football or basketball or whatever sport, he was there to cheer those groups on because it was the right thing to do. And no matter whether they won or lost, he always remained positive.
I don’t know how many times I saw him at the signing ceremonies for Del Rio High athletes and heard him congratulate those young men and women for their accomplishments and heard him urge them to continue pursuing success in whatever path they chose.
Sometimes he didn’t want to speak because he wanted the day to be about those kids and their families. In a time when some people want to make events about themselves, his decision to be silent spoke volumes of how important those kinds of milestones were in his mind and how he understood why those days belonged to the student-athletes in the spotlight.
As I scoured social media for references to his passing, I came across a post from Bosses Day in 2020. His staff had delivered breakfast to him and the picture showed him seated behind his desk, smiling and loved. The comments of support and congratulations showed the respect and love his current and former educators and staff who worked under him had for the man.
In this time of loss, I hope people will remember the joy, support and respect Perez had for not just Del Rio High School and the San Felipe Del Rio CISD, but for Del Rio as a whole. Seeing the comments in regards to his passing, it’s very apparent that the feeling was mutual.
Godspeed Jose, and thank you for being such a bright part of our community.
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Brian Argabright covers sports and much more for The 830 Times. He has been involved in journalism since 1996. Contact him at drnhsports@gmail.com
