Eddie Chavez
Eduardo Chavez Morin Vollweiler died October 20 at the age of 91 in an IMSS hospital in Guadalajara after a fall.
Chavez was born April 1, 1926, to Eduardo Chavez Morin and Luisa Vollweiler in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated with honors from high school in Bayside, New York, and attended the Naval School of Marine Engineering in New York and Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City. As a teen, he worked at a telegraph office and with “American Airlines” newspaper.
When 17, during World War II, he volunteered for the U.S. Marines and was assigned to an amphibious force. He sailed from Houston and was in charge of a 50 mm. machine gun designed to protect the ship from air attacks. He participated in the invasion of Okinawa, during which his ship was hit by a Japanese “kamikaze” (suicide) bomber.
After the war, Chavez went to Mexico City to direct a laboratory owned by his grandfather and helped make it successful in foreign sales. He was later in charge of public relations at a finance firm, manager of Filomecanica (a plastic mold maker) and for 25 years ran a travel agency, Viajes Premier, which he founded.
He married Ana Maria Rivera Rivera and had a set of twins, Patricia and Eduardo. When Ana Maria died around 2008, he moved to Guadalajara, where he had family connections.
In Guadalajara, he was active in the American Legion veterans group and in the American Society of Jalisco (AMSOC).
“He and Patty [his daughter] both attended our luncheons and loved playing cards after (and even during!) lunches,” said AMSOC officer Cam Esser. “We miss seeing Eddie and his cheerful ‘hellos.’”
Chavez attended St. Mark’s Anglican Church and in April celebrated his 91st birthday there, joking about being born on April Fool’s Day. He is survived by his twins Patty and Eduardo and will be sorely missed by them and many friends.