Lionel Charles Betancourt

Lionel Betancourt, age 91, passed away on August 6th, 2025, after a lifetime of dedicated service to his community, family, and faith.

Lionel was born in Brownsville, Texas on November 26, 1933, to Paco and Mae Betancourt. He graduated from San Benito High School in 1952 and the University of Texas in 1957.

Among his proudest professional accomplishments were working for Collins radio, the company that provided communication equipment to transmit Neil Armstrong's announcement “The Eagle has landed," as well as video as he stepped onto the moon during the Apollo 11 moon landing; being a founding director of First National Bank of San Benito; serving as President of the Chamber of Commerce and as Chairman of the Board of the Port Isabel-San Benito Navigation District; preserving Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital; and being a member of and serving as President of the Rotary Club of San Benito where he founded the Adoption Awareness Project, which helped countless children find forever families.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Lee, and his brother Frank, brother-in-law H.P. Clifton Jr, and niece Cindy Clifton. He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Mary Anne, and his three children: John, Andrea, and Amanda (husband, Chris) along with their two daughters—his cherished granddaughters—Jenna and Cate. He is also survived by his younger sister, Betty, sister-in-law Patricia Clifton, and nieces Dana, Lisa, Rachel, Emily and a nephew Scotty as well as numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.

Lionel was a man of vision, integrity, and compassion, and lived by the Rotary motto: “Service Above Self.”

The Betancourt family will receive friends and family on Saturday, August 9th, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Buck Ashcraft San Benito Funeral Home. The funeral service will take place on Saturday morning at 11:00 o’clock in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow at San Benito Memorial Park.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are John Betancourt, Chris Levine, Sam Penn Boswell Jr., Pete Galvan, Ray Quiroga, and Rolando Monsevalles.