Roll Call Tribute

Jose (J.J.) Sanchez ’93 (Deceased Mar 18,1993)
Biomedical Science Major
1416 Monterrey Ave, Laredo, TX 78040

In January of 1993, J.J. Sanchez, a young Biomed Science major and Senior Cadet from Laredo Texas, made arrangements with his hometown priest to hold a special Mass for Aggie students. J.J’s sole purpose for this Mass was to have a special blessing for all Aggie students returning to College Station for the spring semester. When J.J. went back to college, he continued his religious practice, joining the Knights of Columbus, and serving as a Eucharistic minister at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church.

Sadly, the tradition that J.J. started would soon continue on without him. Poised to graduate pre-med from College Station in 1993, J.J. perished in a car accident during Spring-break that year. In honor of JJ’s efforts and commitment, the Laredo A&M Mothers’ Club has celebrated the JJ Sanchez Memorial Mass every year since his death. The club also awards thousands of dollars in scholarships every year in J.J.’s name.

Underscoring the importance of traditions at A&M is the fact that the Corp maintains its own remembrance of the former cadet. Each year, his parents, Jose & Juanita Sanchez, present the J.J. Sanchez Recruitment and Retention Flag to a unit in the Corps that earned it and will then carry for an entire year.

J.J.’s spirit of giving lives on though these three wonderful traditions, and his memory still serves as daily inspiration for his siblings, Clarissa Sanchez-Thomson, and Francisco Javier (Cisco) Sanchez ’96.

Submitted by a
Neighborhood friend
& Fellow Aggie,
Rene Rodriguez ‘84
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Writer: 23rd anniversary Aggie Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Jan. 3

Posted on Laredo Morning Times (on) January 2, 2016

To the editor:

On behalf of the Laredo A&M Mothers’ Club, I would like to inform the public that the 23rd anniversary Aggie Memorial Mass will be celebrated.

In December of 1992, a young devout Catholic science major student, Jose Juan Sanchez, approached the priest at St. Augustine Church about the idea of officiating a special mass for Aggie students.

J. J.’s sole purpose for this mass was for the priest to have a special blessing at the end of the mass for all Aggie students returning to College Station in the spring semester. J. J. assisted in organizing the first Laredo Texas A&M Students’ mass in January of 1993.

As fate would have it, J.J., a senior and a cadet in the corps, was killed 2 months later, in March of 1993 in a car accident. J. J.’s efforts and commitment in initiating this tradition continued even after his tragic passing.

The Laredo A&M Mothers’ Club has celebrated the J.J. Sanchez Memorial Mass every year since then at Christ the King Church.

This year the mass will be celebrated on Jan. 3, and Father Jose Luis Balderas will be officiating.

Students returning to “Aggieland” this semester will be treated to a very special blessing in memory of J.J. Sanchez’s 23rd anniversary Memorial Mass.

Through this mass, not only do we keep J.J.’s idea alive but this also allows our Aggie attendees to create a special and unique bond among them before they head back to “Aggieland.”

The Jose Juan Sanchez ’93 Memorial Mass will be held at Christ the King Church on Jan. 3, 2016 at 10 am.

Sincerely,

Diana T.E. Lopez

Club Officer
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This Aggie has passed away.