Eugenio "Gene" Gil Arguijo, 79, was born on the banks of the Atascosa River in Pleasanton, Texas on March 20, 1943, to Refugio Arguijo Sr. and Anselma Gil Arguijo.  He was the youngest of seven children.  He passed away peacefully in Pleasanton, Texas on May 14, 2022, surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren as they read aloud his favorite book, The Old Man and the Sea. He was a family man and entrepreneur who was loved and is remembered by many.

Gene was raised by a family of migrant workers that spent time picking cotton in Texas and cherries in California. In Texas, they spent significant time in the San Antonio area and eventually settled in Pleasanton when Gene was in the sixth grade. Gene remained in Pleasanton and graduated from Pleasanton High School in 1961. He met his wife, Barbara Aguilar, in grade school. They were married in 1961. Together they moved to California for work, where their eldest son, Larry Arguijo, was born in 1962.  Soon after, they moved back to Plains, Texas, and had two more children, Lisa Arguijo in 1964 and Michael Arguijo in 1965.  During this time, he owned a gas station and loved playing baseball on Sunday afternoons where everyone would gather to watch the games and "cuss and discuss."

Later, Gene developed an expansive career in the oil and gas industry. In 1968, he and his family moved to Eunice, NM where he was trained as a welder by Shell Pipeline. At Shell, he worked his way up to become a welding inspector, and inspected sites in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, and New Mexico.  In 1973 he and the family moved to Kermit, Texas. Gene left Shell in 1975 and found success working as an independent welding contractor and inspector. Notably, he worked on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline for a brief period before returning to Texas.  In 1980, he took the next step in his welding career with the creation of his own company, Arguijo Welding (now, Arguijo Oilfield Services), in Kermit, Texas.  In 1985, he created City Cleaners in Pleasanton, Texas. Both entities still operate today.

Gene was an avid reader and traveler. He enjoyed visiting other places and learning the local culture and history. He loved to fish and enjoyed taking his children and grandchildren camping and fishing whenever he could. He instilled a love of the water in his children and grandchildren, who all have fond memories of growing up with him on Lake Amistad near Del Rio, Texas.  He enjoyed golfing and played in various local tournaments in Texas, New Mexico, and Las Vegas.  He adored his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and spent countless hours with them. He laid the foundation for who they are today. When they were young, the children loved the many scavenger hunts and swimming races he set up for them and participated in (despite him dunking their heads in the swimming pool to give himself a head start). One of his final acts of kindness was repairing an old Radio Flyer wagon for his toddler-aged great-grandchildren to play with the next time they would come to Pleasanton to see him.

Gene is preceded in death by his parents, Refugio Arguijo Sr. and Anselma Gil Arguijo; his brothers Refugio "Mito" Arguijo, Doroteo "Teo" Arguijo, and Melquiades "Max" Arguijo; his sisters, Tiadora "Talla" (Arguijo) Castillo, and Paula "Hata" (Arguijo) Martinez; he had three siblings that were stillborn.  He is survived by his three children Larry Arguijo, Lisa (Arguijo) Hibler, and Michael Arguijo; his grandchildren Stephanie (Arguijo) Ward, Jon Hibler, Sarah Arguijo, Sydney Arguijo, Max Arguijo, Jacob Hibler, Joseph Arguijo, and Sofie Arguijo; and his great-grandchildren Bailey Moore, Matthew Moore, Harper Ward, Clementine Ward, Clara Hibler, and Fielden Hibler; and sister Benita Arguijo Naranjo.

His presence will be greatly missed by all who knew him.  Donations can be made in his memory to the American Heart Association.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM, with a rosary to be recited at 7:00 PM at Hurley Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 11:00 AM at St. Andrew Catholic Church. Service concludes.

For anyone wishing to leave condolences for the family, share memories or sign the online guestbook you may do so at www.hurleyfuneralhome.com.