Charles Mares

Charles Joseph Mares

July 12, 1938 – August 20, 2023

Charles “Bud” Joseph Mares, 85, went to be with our Lord and Savior during the late afternoon hours of Sunday, August 20, 2023, surrounded by his loving family and in the comfort of his home in New Braunfels, Texas.

Bud was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 12, 1938, to Charles Mathew Mares and Mildred “Millie” Kralovec Mares and was raised in Cicero, Illinois and Fox Lake, Illinois.  After graduating from High School, he joined the United States Army and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War and drove M48 Patton Tanks. After his honorable discharge, Bud continued his education and received a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

On November 5, 1960, he married the love of his life and wife of 60 years, Donna Jean Mares.

From an early age, Bud had strong work ethics instilled in him. He worked for his father building homes where he learned skills such as carpentry and bricklaying, to name a few. These skills would be utilized for the rest of his life completing projects at home, whether it was tearing out the entire kitchen and designing and building oak cabinets or building furniture for his wife, children, grandchildren, and friends. He worked as an electrical/mechanical engineer for 41 years.  After relocating to Texas in 1979, he traveled extensively throughout the lower United States and Mexico to various packaging plants, until his retirement at age 62.

Family was important to him, and he loved to be surrounded by his wife, Donna, his 2 daughters, 3 sons, and their spouses.  Bud devoted time to his children, teaching them everything from changing oil to woodworking. After his retirement, he was able to spend more time with his children and 12 grandchildren, whom he bragged about quite often.

Along the way, Bud enjoyed his involvement in Indian Guides, was a Scout Master for The Boy Scouts, past President of the Eagle’s Auxiliary, he loved to call Bingo every Thursday at the Eagle’s Hall, and he enjoyed his time as a member of the Comal County Fair & Rodeo where he loved talking to visitors about the hatching chicks. He was an avid gardener, loved to bake and cook Italian food, and was fondly dubbed Bobby Crocker. Bud was a man of many talents and throughout the years he dabbled in bee keeping, leather working, creating stained glass windows and knew just enough about working on vehicles to be dangerous! In his later years, he began making pens from various types of wood and you were blessed if you had an opportunity to get one! He was a huge dog lover and had many beloved dogs throughout the years and in the last few years he enjoyed Chloe and Molly, cats that had been adopted by his wife, Donna.

Bud is survived by his children: daughter Laurie; son Scott (wife Dianna), daughter Lynnan (husband Randy), son David (wife Amy), son Steven (wife Michelle), grandchildren Tamra (husband Noah), Kelly (husband Kegan), Taylor, Kathryne, Zachary (wife Lexi), Nicholas, Matthew, Zane, Sage, Caleb, Elijah, and Jonah.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Jean Mares and his parents, Charles Mathew Mares and Mildred Kralovec Mares, older sister Joyce Paul Weltzien and younger brother Jack Mares.