Roll Call Tribute

Joseph Martin Aguilar 

February 1, 1966 - July 3, 2024 

Joseph Martin Aguilar, 58, known by all as Joseph except by his siblings who affectionately called him Joe, was a man of strong will, intelligence and dad jokes. He was born on February 1, 1966, at P&S Hospital on Weber Road, in Corpus Christi, Texas, as the youngest of three children, to his caring parents Nicolas Aguilar and Marcelina Colmenero Aguilar, whom both preceded him.

Joseph died on July 3, 2024, at Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional on Alameda Street, in Corpus Christi, Texas, surrounded by his loving family. His memory and legacy are carried on by his wife Becky Aguilar, three children Blake (formerly named Brittany) Aguilar Dean, Devin Aguilar, and Kaitlyn (Katie) Aguilar, and elder siblings Sandra and Nicholas (Nick) Aguilar. Nick still remembers when they played little league baseball, rode bikes and skateboarded together.

He attended St. Pius X Catholic School until his family moved to Harlingen in the summer of 1976, and he went to school there for a year. When they came back to Corpus Christi, he went to Meadowbrook Elementary for his 6th grade year following afterward to Cullen Junior High. For High School he went to Richard King High School where he played the trombone in the marching band as well as played football where in senior year made varsity. He always fondly remembers the pranks King’s and Carrol’s football teams played on each other during the season, which helped nurture his lifelong love of music and sports and later on movies, especially the Harry Potter and Divergent Series that he would frequently marathon back-to-back, was added.

Joseph went to North Texas State University, studying political science for one year, came back and met his future wife, Becky. He went into the military on March 23, 1987, as a surgical technologist, that he became certified in, for the Navy. Joseph and Becky married on July 2, 1988, at St. Patrick Catholic Church.

After marriage they lived together in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and he worked in Portsmouth, Virginia, at the Naval Hospital. He was then moved to North Carolina, Camp Lejeune, where his wife and newborn daughter Brittany (later renamed Blake) rejoined him living on base. He also went back to college there, then went overseas on the USS Saipan later on the USS Nashville, with the Marines that he fondly remembers, especially going to Iceland. He participated in the Gulf War, where he received the Purple Heart for injuries during a bombing while delivering medical supplies. Joseph then lived in Maryland for a while where on December 18, 1996, he was honorably discharged, with the rank of E-5. When he left, for two years afterwards he was part of the reserves in case of war. He was always proud of his military service and never forgot his memories of that time and the places he visited overseas. He also never forgot the community, and being in the military, whenever he found out a veteran in town died, he would see if that veteran had family that could attend and if not, he would be sure to make the time to attend since he felt at least somebody should be there.

After leaving the military, Joseph went to work in Austin, Texas, because he and his wife were expecting their second child, Devin. Later, he worked as a Surgical Tech in Corpus Christi. Finally, the couple welcomed their third child Kaitlyn, which they nicknamed Katie. He eventually went back to school at Del Mar College and A&M Corpus Christi, which he continued at A&M College Station. He was proud to be an Aggie and teased his elder sister Sandra who was a Longhorn, but never finished his degree. Joseph went back to Corpus Christi to help care for their children while his wife focused on her own business Heirloom Elegance, while he became a big support to the family. He was happy seeing his children’s important milestones, Brittany’s graduation with a degree in computers and then working for the Geek Squad and later Dave n Busters then lastly helping at her mother’s shop; then, Devin joining the marching band in high school, receiving honors as he graduated and going to university. He saw Kaitlyn doing Girl Scouts, being in student council, cheerleading in middle school, which he went to every game, and finding her love of History. Joseph was proud to see his eldest Brittany marry her sweetheart Jeffery Dean on October 3, 2015. When all the kids were grown, he started working odd jobs to help the family even more until he was unable to continue working due to health problems.

A life so honorably lived deserves to be fondly remembered. So as his joyous light leaves us, we are comforted in knowing his legacy of strength, hard-will, dad jokes, family loyalty, and love lives on through the people that met him and knew him. Joseph Martin Aguilar was a loving person, a supportive brother, a beloved husband, an extremely proud father and kind friend who will be dearly missed.

A visitation will be held from 5-8 PM with a Rosary beginning at 6:30 PM on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Maxwell P. Dunne Funeral Service – YORKTOWN BLVD. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:30 AM on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, followed by a committal service and final military honors at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.