Alvin Johnnie Kucera, 88, of Deanville, Texas, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at Copperas Hollow Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Caldwell, Texas, surrounded by his family.
Visitation and Rosary will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Caldwell, Texas, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and Rosary at 7 p.m.
Funeral Services will be on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 9 a.m., at St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Caldwell, Texas, with Father Melvin L. Dornak officiating.
Burial will immediately follow the service at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Bryan, Texas.
Alvin Johnnie Kucera was born on December 4, 1935, to parents Martin Charles Kucera and Lillian Arneta (Vrla) Kucera, in Ennis, Ellis County, Texas. Alvin is one of three siblings.
Alvin graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School, in Bryan, Texas, in 1954.
After graduating high school, he attended Allen Academy, a military preparatory school for one year.
He met his future wife, Agnes C. Muzny in the spring of 1961 in Bryan, Texas, and they were married on November 18, 1961, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dime Box, Texas. To this union two daughters were born, Catherine (Cathy) A. Kucera and Carolyn A. Kucera.
After graduating from high school, and attending Allen Academy, Alvin was inducted into the United States Army on September 4, 1958, after completing basic training.
He was honorably discharged on August 26, 1960.
After completing his service in the military, he went to work for Smith Corona Marchant, Inc. (SCM, Inc.) where his office was located in the basement of the State Capital building in Austin, Texas. He repaired typewriters and adding machines for many businesses throughout Austin.
After working a few years in Austin, Alvin and his family moved back to Bryan where he continued to work for SCM, servicing many businesses throughout Central Texas.
Alvin worked for SCM for many years before deciding to make a career change leaving the company and going to work for the United States Postal Services, where he worked until he retired. He worked at the various postal facilities in Bryan and College Station, the final Post Office was on the Texas A&M University Campus in the Memorial Student Center.
He became friends with many of the students, always going above and beyond to help them however he could. The student’s loved him so much that they actually named a Freshman Fish camp in honor of him called “Camp Kucera.” This was a true honor for him. He retired from the United States Post Office after 26 years of dedicated service in January 1999.
Alvin loved doing many things. He enjoyed music, especially polka music. Anytime it was being played on the radio he’d be listening to it. He and Agnes enjoyed going polka dancing whenever they had time.
Alvin loved music so much that he taught himself to play the accordion. The accordion wasn’t the only musical instrument he could play. Alvin also played the cornet, which he played in the SFA High School Band. Occasionally he would get his instruments out and would play them for the family. They loved listening to him play his music and of course it was usually polkas and waltzes.
In Alvin’s younger years, he decided he wanted to learn to fly. He went to flight school at Easterwood Airport and received his pilot’s license. He loved taking his friends and family flying with him. Cathy loved to fly with her dad, so any chance she had, she would go with him.
Alvin also enjoyed being outdoors. He loved being on the farm, tending his cattle, gardening, hunting and fishing.
He loved spending time with friends and family.
When Carolyn was in high school, she and her dad spent many hours together getting ready for various livestock shows, including the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo where Carolyn placed third and the Brazos County Youth Livestock show where Carolyn received a Reserved Champion, for showing her registered Brangus heifers.
Carolyn and her dad also went to many Aggie football games together, getting in at halftime when her Uncle Delbert would be working the games.
After the games were over, Dad would tell her they could walk out onto Kyle field. Carolyn couldn’t wait and would take off running so she could talk to all the football players and get their autographs. Dad had a hard time keeping up with her and would literally have to hunt her down.
Alvin also liked to deer hunt, but loved fishing the most. In the spring when the white bass are running, he and Agnes would go fishing down at the Yegua Creek. Most of the time Agnes would out fish him but, that didn’t matter to him. He was enjoying their time together fishing.
He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved spending time with them too.
If he wasn’t taking them fishing to the tank behind their house, he loved reading to them or just watching them ride their bikes or scooters in the driveway. They loved their Pepaw.
Alvin was a member of St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, in Caldwell, as well as a member of the K.J.T. and held various offices in the K.J.T. He was much loved and will greatly be missed by his family and friends.
Alvin was preceded in death by his father, Martin Charles Kucera; mother, Lillian Arneta (Vrla) Kucera; and brother, Martin Pete (Buddy) Kucera, Alvin is survived by his wife of 62 years, Agnes C (Muzny) Kucera of Deanville; daughter, Catherine A. (Kucera) Engleman and her husband, Henry J. Engleman, Jr. of Bryan; daughter, Carolyn A. Kucera of Huntsville; a sister, Mary E. (Kucera) Hovorak of Bryan; two grandchildren and their spouses; seven greatgrandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, the Parkinson Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, or St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, in Caldwell, Texas.
A special thank you to everyone at Hospice Brazos Valley and to the Staff at Copperas Hollow Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Caldwell, Texas, for their unwavering devotion and assistance to Alvin in his time of need.
Express condolences at Phillipsandluckey.com.
PHILLIPS & LUCKEY FUNERAL HOME 404 W. Buck St. Caldwell, Tx 77836 979-567-3232