Joseph V. LaMantia, Jr.
(South Texas businessman, | |||
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| Born | March 1, 1933 Place of birth missing Resident of McAllen, Texas | ||
| Died | June 14, 2021 (aged 88) McAllen, Texas | ||
| Spouse | (1) Ann LaMantia (married 1953-1983, her death)
(2) Brenda Derrelene Schneider LaMantia (married 1985-2021, his death) | ||
Joseph V. LaMantia, Jr. (March 1, 1933 – June 14, 2021) was a diversified businessman and civic figure from South Texas.[1]
In the 1950s, LaMantia launched an agriculture career in Carrizo Springs in Dimmit County, some 116 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas. In 1965, he moved to the Rio Grande Valley. In 1977, he ventured into the beer distribution industry as a wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch products. His company, L&F Distributors, began in McAllen with eleven employees and now employs nearly 1,100 individuals, with 7 locations serving 53 counties in Texas.[2]
LaMantia established one of the first scholarships for women athletes at the University of Texas-Pan American, named for his first wife of thirty years, the Ann LaMantia Outstanding Woman Athlete Scholarship. L&F Distributors formed a partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund in 1994 and raised over $5 million and awarded more than 2,600 scholarships in eight years to the students in south Texas. In 2002, he established the Stars Scholarship Fund, which he believed would promote the growth of South Texas. He oversaw the disbursement of over $35.1 million in scholarships, to assist over 17,000 students in the community. He was also active in Lions International, the Rio Grande Cancer Treatment Research Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Rio Grande Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the South Texas Communities for Youth Service, and the Special Olympics for those with handicaps.[2]
In 1974, Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. (1923-2010), appointed LaMantia to the board of the Texas Department of Corrections, a post he filled for fifteen years. His honors included designation as "Border Texan of the Year," "Distinguished Citizen" by the Boy Scouts, and "Citizen of the Year" by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In 2006, the University of Texas-Pan American awarded him the "Bridge Builder Award," and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awarded him its Golden Eagle Award. The Laredo-based Washington's Birthday Celebration Association honored him as "Mr. South Texas." He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a "Life Service Award" from the National Beer Wholesalers Association.[2]
From his first marriage, LaMantia had five children, Val (Guy), Joe, III (Marilyn), Gregory (Laurie), Stephen (Linda), and Tony LaMantia (Jennifer). In 1985, he wed the former Brenda Derrelene Schneider, by whom he acquired two stepdaughters, Jennifer and Lori (husband Felix).[2]