- Date Of Birth: July 30, 1940
- Date Of Death: May 19, 2014
- State: Idaho
On a beautiful sunny evening, May 19, 2014, Our lives were changed forever. Our Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, and Uncle Julio Flores Aguinaga Sr., the matriarch and rock of our family, was unexpectedly and tragically taken from us in an automobile accident. Julio was born at home in Brownsville Texas on July 30, 1940 to Manuel and Juanita Flores Aguinaga. He was the oldest of 16 siblings. He grew up in Texas as a young boy and went to school only up until his 5th grade year. In 1953, Julio moved with his mom and siblings to Burley Idaho. That same year his mother and some of his siblings were in an automobile accident which claimed the lives of his sister Chanita and his baby brother Steven. This tragedy was the beginning of many more to come for Julio. In the summer of 1959, at the ripe young age of 19 years old, Julio met and married his first wife, Manuela Reyes, in Burley Idaho. To this union, his first two children, Julio and Linda were born. They were later divorced. He then met Victoria Sanchez, and although never married, he was blessed with three more children, Michael, Jody, and David. They too later separated. Finally in 1972 at 32 years young, Julio met Maria Elvia Lucio through his sister Eda and they fell in love. Later that same year, as they both would say, he picked her up on his motorcycle and against her parents’ wishes, she ran off and married him. To this union they also were blessed with 5 more boys, Manuel, Mario, Marco, Max, and Matthew. In 1981, Julio moved his wife and kids to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he worked as a diesel mechanic and truck driver. Shortly before moving, his sister Eda, with whom he met his wife, was killed by a vehicle while walking home. Julio and his family resided in Florida for 10 years, when Julio’s dad fell ill, he decided to move his family back to Burley to help care for him. His father passed in 1992. Two years later, in 1994, his mother was also killed when her vehicle was struck by a potato truck. This was a turning point for Julio. Julio took sole responsibility for his siblings, taking the role of both father and mother and main provider for them, while also providing for his wife and kids. In 1996, Julio was faced with the most difficult trial of his life. The oldest of his last five boys, Manuel, was hit by a vehicle riding his motorcycle to work. Although Julio was the back bone to his family and he dealt with it with his head held high, we all knew when Manuel died, a piece of dad died too. Julio’s career was a long haul truck driver, sacrificing a lot of time from his family to provide for them. Julio didn’t just make sure they had what they needed; he made sure they also had what they wanted. Julio was a strong man with a lot of pride, but he was also a man with a big heart and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for someone in need. Along with his passion for driving trucks, he loved cars and motorcycles, he had a knack for hustling people at pool, the Dallas Cowboys was his team, he loved Pepsi and peanuts and he was always looking for candy. If you didn’t find him watching old westerns, you could probably find him enjoying friends/family with some good Spanish music or hitching a ride to Jackpot. Even though our lives are forever changed and feel like been destroyed, we know our dad is free from pain and were reunited with family and his beloved son, Manuel. We will always miss you dad and we live on now through you. On top of it all, Julio loved his grandchildren more than anything.
