ROBSTOWN, Tx — A community center in Robstown now has a new name, honoring a late judge who spent decades serving Nueces County.
On Wednesday, Nueces County Commissioners voted unanimously, 5-0, to rename the Robstown Community Center at Ortiz Park the Judge Joaquin Villarreal III Community Center.
Villarreal was a Robstown native, Vietnam War veteran and longtime public servant who held several leadership positions throughout his career.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Villarreal earned his law degree from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1974.
He went on to serve as an assistant district attorney for Nueces County from 1975 to 1976 and as Precinct 3 county commissioner from 1977 to 1981. He later served as a judge for County Court at Law and the 347th District Court before retiring in 2000.
Even after retirement, Villarreal continued serving the community as a visiting judge through 2014.
He passed away on May 27, 2020, at the age of 75.
Nueces County Commissioner John Marez said a plaque honoring Villarreal was installed at the community center about two years ago, but the county never formally approved the name change until Wednesday's vote.
"People loved and just took pride in knowing that he was on the bench here at the courthouse and then all the years he got elected and reelected, he just made a name for himself in the community," Marez said.
Beyond his judicial career, Villarreal was also involved in several community organizations and supported local nonprofits, including the Robstown Volunteer Fire Department, the
Women's Shelter of South Texas and the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.
The county now plans to install new signage and lighting at the community center as part of ongoing improvements at Ortiz Park.
Marez said officials hope to invite Villarreal's family and the public to another dedication ceremony once those improvements are complete.
A date for the ceremony has not yet been announced.