INSURANCE MOGUL, PHILANTHROPIST JOHNNY CAVAZOS DIES TODAY

By Juan Montoya
We have received word that longtime insurance provider and political kingmaker Johnny Cavazos has passed away from congenital heart disease.
Whether you like him or not or disagreed with his politics, Cavazos left a legacy of a tenacious businessman and adroit political connoisseur who was able to handle many local boards and political entities to make a decent living selling them insurance on everything from Stop-Loss to windstorm protection.

He leaves behind a legacy that is criticized by some and praised by others for this and his wife's philanthropy toward some of the entities with which he did business. The UTB-TSC has been the receipient of a scholarship fund set up by Cavazos and wife Nena as has the Brownsville Independent School District.
Before that he had served as a Cameron County Commissioner.
In 2010  he was named Honorary Parade Marshal for the Charro Days festival.

At the time, Kenneth Lieck, president of the Charro Days Association, said he was being honored for his extraordinary years of volunteer service to Charro Days, and his involvement throughout the Brownsville community.

“Johnny has been an active member of Charro Days for over 50 years,” said  Lieck. “He’s a past president and life director."

Cavazos and his wife of 56 years, Nena S. Cavazos, were honored together several years ago with the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College’s Distinguished Alumni Award. The couple met on the TSC campus in the early 1950s, and both have been active in the community for decades. Starting from a one-room office in 1965, they built the thriving independent insurance agency together.
We at Rrun-Rrun have been openly critical of the way that Cavazos was able to work the politics and to garner millions for his business with the help of pliant public boards in the past. However, at this sad time for his family and relatives, we wish to extend out condolences to them. Rest in Peace Mr. Cavazos.