Obituary of Elias P. Vecchio

Rosary for Elias P. Vecchio, 85, of Abernathy, TX, will be held at 7:00 pm Wednesday, January 22, 2020, in St. Isidore Catholic Church with Rev. Brian Wood, pastor, officiating. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2:00 pm Thursday, January 23, 2020, in the same church with the same officiants. Burial will follow in the Abernathy Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Abell Funeral Home & Flower Shop of Abernathy, TX. Mr. Vecchio died Sunday, January 19, 2020 in Lubbock, TX. He was born June 22, 1934 in Brooks County, TX, to Catarino Rodriguez Vecchio and Ofira (Perez) Vecchio. They moved to Abernathy in 1955 from South Texas. He married Dolores Partida, December 29, 1957 in Edinburg, TX. He was a farmer for 31 years, farming for J. C. Mills and Owen Benn in Abernathy and Shelby Howell, Jr. in Kress, TX. In 1983 he and his wife opened Vecchio's Burger Hut in Abernathy and in 1990 he relocated the business within town and renamed it Vecchio's Restaurant where it remained under their ownership until retiring in December of 2014. Mr. Vecchio was devoted to the community of Abernathy and served in numerous ways. He was an Abernathy City Councilman from 1988 until 2010, several of those years he served as Mayor Pro Tem and was the backup City Judge. He served as past President and longtime member of the Abernathy Lions Club, was a 40 year member of the St. Isidore Catholic Church Parish and served as past President of the Parish. Mr. and Mrs. Vecchio were business owners for over 31 years, served on the Abernathy Chamber of Commerce Board and were named Family of the Year by the Abernathy Chamber of Commerce. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys and Texas Tech Red Raider Fan. He was preceded in death by 3 brothers, Eisai Vecchio, Richard Vecchio and Thomas Vecchio, a sister Aida Frausto and a son, Elias Vecchio, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Dolores P. Vecchio of Abernathy, 2 sons, Raul Vecchio of Abernathy and Catarino Vecchio and Krystal Burnett of Wolfforth, TX, a daughter, Dolores Vecchio and companion Aurelio Pina, Jr. of Lubbock. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren, Monica Annette Pillow, Mandy Lee Vecchio, Raul Eugene Vecchio, Timothy Vecchio, Mickey Vecchio and Adam Pillow, 10 great grandchildren, 4 brothers, Vicente Vecchio, Roberto Vecchio, Catarino Vecchio, JR and Eliazar Vecchio.