Raul Noe Longoria Jr.

AUGUST 31, 1969 – OCTOBER 7, 2021

     Raul Noe Longoria, Jr. passed into eternal rest on October 7, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. Born on August 31, 1969 in Kingsville, Texas, he was affectionately called by his middle name “Noe” by family and friends. A devoted and loving father and a devout Catholic, he lived in Millington, TN from 1992 to 2000, and in Bartlett, TN thereafter.

     Noe earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston; he earned his Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Memphis. Noe’s first job after graduating was at FedEx, and he made a career out of it. The last job title he held at FedEx was Marketing Manager; he had a great love and respect for the members of his team.

     Apart from work, Noe dedicated much of his life to the Church. He was an oblate of St. Benedict at St. Meinrad. A parishioner of the Catholic Church of Nativity, Noe served with the Knights of Columbus. He revitalized the Fishers of Men program at Nativity, helping his fellow men learn more about their faith and grow closer to Christ.

Anyone who knew Noe, knew he was a family man. There was little he loved more than the whole family gathering around to play a new dice or domino game he had learned or a new board game he had bought. Although he rarely won, Noe was always reading up on the next game he could teach the whole family. His daughter, Becky, often brought her friends and her now husband, Joey, over for game nights. Noe would always welcome them with open arms and make them his famous Old Fashioned or frozen margaritas.

     He had a diverse taste in music-- from classic rock to funk, new age to pop. For over a decade, he drove his children to school with tunes playing from The Beatles, Talking Heads, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, and more. He took his children, Sarah and Peter, to their first concert-- AC/DC. Years later, he took Sarah to see one of their favorites, Billy Joel; they sat only six rows away from the stage at what was a concert of a lifetime. So many songs bring back fond memories of Noe.

     When his youngest daughter, Annie, joined the inaugural trap team at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School, Noe volunteered as an assistant coach. He eventually accepted the position as head coach. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to bond with Annie. He taught the team with gentle patience and kindness.

Noe had a great sense of humor, whether it was Mr. Bean, The Office, or a Mel Brooks film. He and his family watched countless comedies, often laughing to tears and rewinding movies to replay particularly funny scenes.

     He was a loving PawPaw, who took his grandsons, Paddy and Andrew, on many adventures such as playing indoor hockey, swimming, looking for rocks and "treasures" in the yard, and collecting eggs from the chickens. When he found out that he had another grandchild-- Peter and Maddi’s child, who is due in April 2022-- Noe was overjoyed! He took a picture of himself holding an ultrasound photo of the baby, and captioned it “first picture with PawPaw!”

     Right after God, Noe loved his wife, Judy, the most. Their love was evident to all of those around them. Watching the two of them was like watching an “I Love Lucy” episode. Noe loved to take Judy on weekly Friday dates where the two would receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and go out to lunch afterwards. The graces that were received from this were easily seen in the way Noe loved others. He made prayer and the sacraments a top priority in his life. He desired for all the wayward souls to come back into the loving gaze of the Father and prayed fervently that they would. Evangelization was at the heart of the way Noe prayed and lived his life. His family truly believes that the Lord gave Noe the privilege of ultimately giving up his very life for this purpose-- saving souls-- and that many souls will come home because of the way Noe strived to be like Jesus to all of those he encountered.

     Two years ago, Noe and Judy made a decision with Noe's parents: Noe's Mom and Dad would sell their home in Fort Worth, Texas and move to Tennessee, and all of them would live together under one roof. It took nine months to find the place all of them would call home, but they found it! And it’s where they have spent the past two years getting to know each other in a deeper way-- sharing their day to day lives with each other, playing dominos, and enjoying poker nights with frozen margaritas. What a beautiful gift to have had these precious years with each other. Then one year ago, Noe opened his heart and his home again and brought Judy’s Mom to live with them as well. It is a full house-- full of family and full of love. No one is perfect, but everyone is forgiving and merciful. Now that our Lord has called Noe home, no one under this roof has to be alone. Noe made sure of that.

     Raul Noe was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Raul Longoria & Zoila Villarreal, his maternal grandparents, Mauro Alcala & Maria Lydia Garza, an aunt Magdalena Alcala, uncles Agustin Alcala and Guadalupe Quintana.  

     He is survived by his loving wife Judy Gill Longoria; his children Sarah Marie & Patrick Glennon, Peter Noe & Maddi Dorrain Longoria, Rebecca Lydia & Joseph Preston, and Annie Isabel Longoria; his grandsons Patrick John “Paddy” and Andrew Thomas Glennon; and his parents Raul Noe Longoria, Sr. and Minerva Alcala Longoria, and mother-in-law Lillian Malito Davis.