Jose C. Farias

On Friday January 14th, Jose Carlos Farias passed peacefully surrounded by his family and pets. He lived a life dedicated to nature and surrounded himself by a menagerie of animals. Giving home to all kinds of creatures from small critters, exotic birds, and reptiles to all kinds of mammals.

He was born in Laredo, Tx on October 3rd, 1951 to Anastacio Farias and Isidra Martinez, the youngest of five boys, his brothers, George, Chris, Frank, and David and one girl, their sister, Marie. He married the love of his life Shirley Louise Burg on August 30th, 1976. They stayed together until her passing at the age of 52 on April 13th, 2008.

Jose served aboard the USS Oklahoma City during the war of Vietnam, as a radioman. He often told tales of his time overseas including when his commanding officer had his older brother Frank, a helicopter pilot for the army, come aboard for a surprise visit.

His love of animals began when he was a small child taking a frog to the zoo, a place he would later work until he decided to pursue a degree in horticulture from Southwest Texas State University (Now Texas State). Jose’s love of nature drove his passions. He founded his own business, Turtledove Farms, where he dealt in exotic pets for several decades. And he could be often found in his greenhouse tending his trove of plants, and caring for his beautifully landscaped property.

Jose is succeeded in life by his son Jamyson Farias, daughter Marcelina Farias, and his granddaughter Kailiegh Farias.