Roland Contreras

Roland Bernard Contreras, much loved husband, father, pawpaw, Patriarch of the Contreras Family legacy and longtime resident of Burton, TX passed away on Sunday Dec 01, 2024.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2024 at Memorial Oaks Chapel. The Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December7, 2024 at St. Paul Lutheran Church of Rehburg with burial following at White Union Cemetery.

Roland was born in Houston Tx on Nov 29, 1939, the firstborn son of Bernard Contreras Sr and Adelina Garibay Contreras. He attended parochial schools in Houston and 1 year in seminary school in San Antonio, until his Jr year where he attended JH Rheagan HS as part of the ROTC program. Upon graduation in 1958 he joined the USMC where he received high honors for his rifle skills setting several shooting records. He served for 6 years (2 years Active Duty and 4 years Reserves) and was honorably discharged. Upon completion of service he joined the HPD police academy class #28 of 1963. He worked for HPD for 22 years, retiring as a Sgt detective in 1985. While working, he also earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston in 1978. He also operated his own Security Service and private investigation company, Universal Protective and Investigation, Inc (UPI) from 1978 until Jan 2003 when he officially retired and sold the company.

After retirement, he had to keep busy, so besides his many hobbies he decided to start substitute teaching for BISD for the next 14 years

Roland married the love of his life, Norma Jean Vavrecka, on May 1st 1973 in Houston TX and they shared 51 wonderful years together.

Roland loved traveling and he missed going in recent years. Every vacation involved learning and finding out about history, oftentimes visiting museums, historical sites, cemeteries, forts, and battlefields. He instilled that love of history to his daughters and grandchildren.

Roland was a master gardener and until recent years had huge gardens of flowers and vegetables. He still loved to sit on his patio and tend to his potted plants and he loved to cultivate seeds of all kinds. He loved watching sunsets and taking pictures of them and his plants and flowers. He loved building birdhouses and he dabbled in jewelry making and painting as well. He loved posting Bible verses, history tidbits, and random facts onto Facebook daily.

Family was extremely important to Roland and visiting family and having family come see him were valued greatly. Roland was known for his wonderful smile and his contagious laugh and being a jokester. He also had a knack for getting people to open up to him and tell him anything. He always said that was due to the "cop" in him. Roland loved to write free verse poetry and gift them to his daughters. He also always made a point of joining hands to pray at all our family gatherings before meals and he always ended a phone or text conversation with "I love you"

He lived life to the fullest and loved people with all his heart.

Roland was preceded in death by his parents: Bernard Sr and Adelina "Lilly" Contreras, father in law and mother in law Eugene Sr and Bertha "Sis" Vavrecka, Brothers: Robert Contreras, Bernard Contreras Jr, Richard Contreras and Michael Contreras. Brother in law: Eugene Vavrecka Jr, Son in Law's: Cuauhtemoc (Temo) Reyes and Ed Muehsler.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 51 years, Norma Contreras. His daughters: Angela Mendez, Debbie McMinn (Wallace), Regina Contreras, Felicia Reyes, Alicia Muehsler, and Amanda Planto (Chris) His grandchildren: Carlos Mendez Jr, Marissa McMinn, Victoria Calderon (Manuel), Eduardo Reyes (Mary), Edwin Muehsler, Amber Muehsler, Zachery Muehsler (Leslie), Emaleigh Muehsler, Bryce Planto, Brynn Planto and Breah Planto, Great grandchildren: Santiago Calderon, Leonardo Reyes, Lorelei Reyes, and Nicholai Hendrix, along with numerous cousins, nephews and nieces, great nephews and great nieces, and sister Diane Rodriguez.

Pallbearers are Chris Planto, Bryce Planto, Zachery Muehsler, Wallace McMinn, Eduardo Reyes, and Brian Vavrecka

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Washington County EMS and Tunnel to Towers Organization for Veterans