Juan Vega began his road trip to the great beyond on January 3rd, 2024, at the tender age of 49. Thankfully, you don’t need a CDL to get to heaven, but Juan has his expired one with him just in case.

Juan was a truck driver, but most importantly, he was a loving husband to Laura; devoted father to Juan Jr & Giselle (Johnathan); doting grandfather to Delilah, cherished son to Maria and Fidel; and proud older brother to his siblings Lito (Clara), Josué (Dayhana), Maritza, and Selina (Nate). And an uncle to many nieces and nephews…

On the day Juan was born, the world welcomed him by celebrating with fireworks, making toasts, and eating grapes for good luck. It was 11:40pm on New Year’s Eve in 1974 and a fitting entrance for Juan to be born on the biggest festive party day of the year. As Maria Socorro (alias La Guille) recovered from intense labor, people could be heard shouting Happy New Year around the world, but all she wanted to do was hold her son. He was born in Mexico City at a time when “El Rey” by Jose Alfredo Jimenez & “Que Te Vaya Bonito” by Vicente Fernandez were dominating the charts. From then on, music would forever be a part of Juan’s life.

Known for his larger-than-life personality, Juan was a firecracker his whole life. He loved all things that went “bang.” Juan’s sharp tongue and explosive wit would keep you on your toes, but also make you laugh hysterically. Juan had a big mouth, bigger fist, and even bigger heart. He faced his death as he did his life…head-on like a Texas Longhorn or Benny the Bull…with no fear.

Raised by Maria, Fidel, and countless family members, Juan would probably tell you he was raised by the streets. At 5yrs old, he made his way from the “las calles” of Mexico City to the windy alleyways of Chicago…where there’s probably still some Raskal tags around courtesy of my brother. It was in Chicago, during his teenage years, that Juan met the love of his life, his ride-or-die, Alma Laura.

True to form, Juan wasted no time getting Laura pregnant. And it’s hard to blame him. It was 1993 – the Chicago Bulls were winning championships, Ice Cube released “It Was a Good Day” and Juan fell in love with a beautiful girl who became his other half. Life was good. Those two halves would bring forth new life culminating in the birth of Juan Jr (known in the streets as Gordo) in November of 1993. The apple of Juan’s eye, his daughter Giselle, would be born 7yrs later in 2000 to bring in the new millennium. 20 years later, Giselle would give birth to Juan’s granddaughter, Delilah, a beautiful baby girl that Juan doted on until his final breath. When Juan wasn’t yelling at Gordo or Giselle, you could find him on the couch letting Delilah comb his hair and paint his nails. We can think of nothing more gangsta than that to show you how much Juan loved his family…and they loved him right back.

Showcasing his tireless dedication to providing for his family, Juan was a jack-of-all-trades having worked various jobs before starting his own businesses. He found his true calling in the trucking industry when he and Laura moved the family to Austin in 2003. Juan loved his truck so much that when he wasn’t putting miles in, you could often find him sleeping (some may say passed out) in there. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in the business, often playing the role of dispatch while expecting nothing in return. Juan's love for the open road was only rivaled by his passion for belting out "Coquio Castro" by Chalino Sanchez, often off-key but always with fortitude and probably on repeat. In sickness and in health, Juan always found a way to provide and help his family.

When Juan wasn’t on the road or running his trucking business, you could find him running the streets with Rogelio, Ampelio Jr, Jose Luis, Gordo, Baby Roy, and others in his close circle of family and friends. As his little brother, I can think of no better way to describe us than as a band of brothers (some might even say gang) with a bond forged strongly over 30 plus years. Juan always loved his siblings dearly…He was proud of Lito’s military career visiting him at Camp Pendleton and he surprised Selina by showing up at her college graduation. Whether it was giving Josué his first Gameboy or the many chats with Maritza, Juan always had time and energy for his loved ones. Juan always put others before himself and would wear $10 loafers so that he could afford to give Gordo brand new Jordan Dub Zeroes on Christmas.

Juan was loved by a lot of people and our family wants to give thanks to everyone who put up with our little Raskal over the years. (You can already hear Juan saying “Hambre Perra.”) Mom never ever gave up on him and fought alongside Juan to the very end. Dad was there for reinforcements, always helping us maintain perspective to be strong. Ampelio and Bertha treated our brother like they would their own sons and we are forever grateful to you and the entire Carreño family for taking him in as you did. Laura, Gordo, and Giselle carried a heavy cross these last few years, but the unquestionable love they had for Juan was on display with how gracefully they cared for him in his final moments. Nothing would have been possible without everyone’s love and support. We know Juan’s favorite moments were shared partying and cooking out with all of us.

A master of the grilling disaster, Juan turned every cookout or family gathering into an epic feast with his culinary skills…complete with laughter and a few more beers and shots than were probably necessary. We will never forget all his birthdays and our New Year’s traditions, or when he lit Fidel’s grill on fire with his legendary, slightly burnt, but delicious, buffalo chicken. We have one last chance to make some memories with Juan’s earthly body and we plan to take full advantage the way he would like us to.

Join us to tip a hat (and maybe a drink) to Juan and celebrate his life at the Eternal Peace Funeral Home, 16912 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX, 78728, from 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, January 6th. Juan hated nightclubs, so it’s only fitting that we celebrate at a place that used to be a nightclub. But don’t worry fellas, there won’t be any cover charge and ladies are free all night. I promise we’ll all have a better time than when we went to Green Dolphin in Chicago, but just like that day, if anyone looks at Laura the wrong way, Juan will pop out the casket and beat their ass. In lieu of a cover, donations can be sent to Juan’s family via this GoFundMe https://gofund.me/a8b0f9d3. Juan wasn’t really into flowers anyway and the most important thing to him was providing for his family.

If you knew our brother, you knew the type of person he was….and if you didn’t, at least now you know. We will love and miss him forever. Here's to Juan, a man who lived as he loved: loudly, boldly, and with a twinkle in his eye.

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