- Date Of Birth: January 19, 1923
- Date Of Death: July 9, 2015
- State: Arizona
Our beloved dad, Mario Vasquez, passed away peacefully at home on July 9.
He was born in Flagstaff, AZ on January 19, 1923 to Tranquilino and Guadalupe Vasquez. He attended Flagstaff High School and served in the United States Army during World War II in the European Theatre of Operations. He was a member of the 736th Tank Battalion and was a recipient of the Bronze Star for heroism.
After the war, he came home and worked with his dad in the logging industry. Along with his dad, two brothers and his sons, he started and operated Vasquez Brothers Logging Company and was a contractor for Southwest Forest Industries until the mill closed in 1989.
Foremost in his life, Mario valued his Catholic faith, his family and his country. He and his family helped to build Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and were active members of that community. Mario and his wife Julia were married for 51 years before her death in 1998 and together they raised six children, Mary Vasquez-Powell (Kent), Monica, Mike, William, Andy and Mario Jr. He was grandfather to eleven grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.
Mario loved his country and was very proud to have served. He valued his comrades and attended many of his military reunions. In 2010, his family hosted his 736th Tank Battalion Reunion here in Flagstaff. His nickname during the war was The Cactus Kid since he was from Arizona. General George Patton also nicknamed the battalion The Kid Battalion since they were all very young. One more member of the Greatest Generation has been deployed to heaven. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Mario was the last surviving member of the original pioneer Tranquilino Vasquez family. His family had been in Flagstaff since 1915.
