Rodolfo "Rudy" Cisneros
June 28, 1946 - January 4, 2019

WESLACO - On June 28th, 1946, a round-faced baby boy was born in Raymondville, Texas -- the third son and child of what would become a party of eight with parents Raul and Consuelo R. Cisneros included. Born into a family of merchants, Rudy would pick up the mantle before he was ten, and he began an information brokerage and distribution enterprise -- he was a paperboy with a local neighborhood route, and he made his way around town on his bicycle.

By 14, he had a permit to drive, and he moved into schlepping groceries at his parents' neighborhood market; into college, he managed to squeeze in a couple shifts on weekends driving back from home from Kingsville with his brother, Robert. After college in 1968, it was into teaching with his first stint at Edcouch-Elsa High School, home of the mighty Yellowjackets. Three years later, he turned in his classroom keys and became a full-time and 3rd generation grocer with his own grocery store in Edouch. According to legend and some former students, the "cool" teacher built up his enterprise to include a chop shop repairing motorcycles and opened The Black Cellar -- Edcouch's finest record store and head shop. In 1977, with the H.E. Butt family expanding their grocery footprint into neighboring Elsa, he returned to the E-E High where he spent the next 15 years teaching students the fine art of merchandising and marketing. In that time, he helped countless students obtain their first job and simultaneously coached them on important life skills.

Ever the entrepreneur, one day in 1984, while delivering his family's shredded, dried beef product (machacado) to a friend's restaurant -- a side gig he maintained while still teaching -- he noticed that the friend had a showcase with jewelry. He asked the friend what that was about, thought the idea of selling jewelry was neat and walked away with his first wholesale purchase -- a gold chain. The legend goes on to say that he sold it within an hour, made a profit, and he returned the next day to buy two more. Two chains became a briefcase full of jewelry, and that became a one-showcase store open on weekends. In 1992, it was all hands on deck as Cisneros Distributors became an eight-showcase store at Cisneros Fine Jewelry. The family business continued with faith and sacrifice and today stands on the foundation laid by other jewelry stores. For the last 26 years, Rudy worked six days a week. He would talk about traveling in later life, but he saw the world each time a new customer walked into his store from another part of the country.

A history buff, he would tell you about the Medicis or the Hapsburgs without relying on the Internet or an encyclopedia. He would also tell you the make and model of every car he saw from the 50s and 60s. He played cornet as a member of the 1965 "Best Marching Band In The World" -- the Texas A&I University's Javelina Band -- and was proud to tell the story of marching down Hollywood Blvd. He ran the register at his grocery store, but he also had the title of "butcher." He respected all walks of life, and he was quick to tell the story of the "automatic" pantyhose he would sell to barmaids in the bustling 1970s Edcouch Entertainment District. He was a diamond dealer, and he fought hardest for his customers -- preferring to make a modest profit (and a friendship) vs. a fortune on every diamond he sold.

He was not an athlete, but he would tell you the play-by-play of each day at his beloved jewelry store, and a competitive sporting event for him was mounting a multi-carat diamond on an engagement setting in time for couples to get engaged. He was a teacher, a counselor, an entrepreneur, a father, a brother, a son, and a friend. Not the best student in grade school, but the smartest move he made was marrying Sandra Luz Alba of Elsa, Texas, and together they raised three children (Oscar David, Juan Raul (Johnny), and Lillian Ruth. They were married for 28 years until she was called home to Heaven.

In 2003, as a participant in a Spanish Christian chat room via America Online, he began a conversation with a stranger in Tampa Bay, Florida. As is turns out, the stranger also owned a jewelry store. The online chat moved to conversations over the phone, and within weeks, Rudy had found love again, and in 2004, he married Belkys Rodriguez Salvia. The new marriage brought expansion to the family as Belkys had four children of her own and their respective families. Together, this union remained strong, and the family grew as Rudy went on to become a grandfather of 10, a step-grandfather to 10, and a step-great-grandfather to 1.

On Friday, January 4, 2019, Rudy was called home. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Belkys; his children: Oscar David (Krystal), Juan Raul/Johnny (Amanda), Lillian Ruth (Alfonso), stepchildren Elizabeth (Gary), Bianka (Jaime), Robert (Angela), and Alexander; his siblings: Raul/Coy (Beatriz), Roberto (+Loida), Rosa (Juan), +Rebecca (Homero), and Ruby (Bruce); his grandchildren: Isabella Ochoa, Daniel Ochoa, Sofia Ochoa, Phoenix Cisneros, Aria Cisneros, Zosia Cisneros, Maverick Cisneros, Diego Cisneros, Marco Cisneros, and Carlo Cisneros; Step-grand-children: Nathalie Ascensao, Jonathan Ascensao, Lilibeth Tandron, Stephen Nieves, Daniel Nieves, Joshua Nieves, Alexander Salvia, Madison Salvia, Roberto Salvia, and Alexis Hinojosa; Step-great grandchild Anthony Abreu, numerous nephews/nieces, cousins, and lifelong friends. Those called to Heaven before him include his parents, Raul Eugenio Cisneros and Consuelo Rios Cisneros and his first wife, Sandra Luz Alba Cisneros.

Visitation will be held on Monday, January 7th, from 3-9pm and Tuesday, January 8th, 9am-9pm, prayer service, 7pm, at McCaleb Funeral Home Chapel. A celebration of Rudy's life will be held on Wednesday, January 9th, 10am, First United Methodist Church in Weslaco. Burial will follow at Raymondville Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Iglesia Metodista de Mexico, checks can be mailed to Cisneros Fine Jewelry, 337 S Texas, Weslaco, TX 78596.

Tributes