Allen Craig Teixeira, longtime Carson City resident and son of former Mayor Marv Teixeira, died of cancer at his home Friday at age 57.
Teixeira, who was born June 7, 1953, in San Jose, Calif., was best known for his involvement in youth sports, the spirit in which he devoted his time to others, and for being a man who could always be counted on.
"As a father, I was so proud of him - for the way he lived his life," said Marv Teixeira. "He was just one hell of a man."
Allen Teixeira attended Carson High School where he played baseball and graduated in 1971. He also attended San Jose City College where he played baseball.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1975-79. He married his wife Donna on June 14, 1980.
"He was very involved in youth sports," said Donna Teixeira. "He coached all our kids in Little League and Pop Warner. He has coached hundreds of kids in this town."
Teixeira also was heavily involved in his church, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community, where he volunteered as a teacher, Eucharist minister and lector.
"He was one of the first men to teach CCD (religious education program) at St. Teresa," Donna Teixeira said.
"He had a great love of young people and God," she said, "and his family was extremely important to him."
Father Jerry Handley praised Teixeira's involvement.
"He was a part of our parish for so many years, we became close to the family through that. They have such a wonderful family; they reach out to everyone. They're all very normal, but very wonderful and close. Anything you needed, they would just say 'yes,'" Handley said.
"He's just one of those people we're really going to miss having around. It will be hard not seeing him around or being able to talk to him," he said.
Teixeira worked as a high-voltage lineman for what is now NV Energy for 30 years, retiring in December.
Co-worker and friend of 30 years Rick Tracy said Teixeira learned of the cancer in his bones only two weeks after he retired, so he never got to enjoy it the way he'd hoped to.
"He bought a boat, just for his retirement. We go fishing every year at June Lakes, but when we went at the end of June this year, he had a real hard time, and I think he had an idea it wouldn't be long," Tracy said.
"When someone starts getting weak like that, it takes more than one person to care for him, and he didn't want to go back to the hospital. I was supposed to go over there this morning (Friday) to help Donna, but when no one answered the phone, I knew," he said.
"He was a great friend who was really funny - he was always joking, but you could always depend on him, too. When there were outages, we could always count on each other. We met digging holes, and he was always a hard worker. He just had a way of making you feel better," Tracy said.
Jeff Ceccarelli, senior vice president of energy supply for NV Energy, also spoke highly of Teixeira's work ethic.
"Al was one of the employees we always knew we could count on. No matter what the conditions, he was always out there helping our customers and being a quiet leader for his team. Our sincere condolences go out to his family. He will be dearly missed," Ceccarelli said.
Teixeira also loved baseball, played most of his life, and coached hundreds of kids.
His high school baseball coach, Roy Kidder, said he was always impressed with Teixeira.
"Al was a very intelligent individual who respected all the men of his team. He was an outstanding pitcher for Carson; he was the one who took us to state finals in the early '70s," Kidder said.
"The whole family was a tribute to this town and the school and the team. We'd get together after games and Marv was always there - I felt good about the good backing he had and the good home he came from," he said.
Teixeira is survived by his wife Donna, two sons, Tony, 25, Michael, 23, and a stepson Kevin Silsby, 33; two grandchildren, Madeline Silsby, 4, and Tyler Silsby, 2; father, Marv Teixeira, and brother, Matthew; aunt, Susan Lawson and cousin, Carol Resner; and many other extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his mother Barbara Teixeira in 1994 and brother Bradley in 1998.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Teresa Catholic Community Church, 3000 N. Lompa Lane in Carson City, immediately followed by a reception at the Station Grille Restaurant, 900 S. Carson St.