Today, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, joined by United States Postal Service representatives, officially renamed the Rio Grande City Post Office as the Lino Perez Jr. Post Office. Perez is a south Texas resident who dedicated more than four decades of his life to the postal service.

The renaming of the post office is the result of legislation Congressman Cuellar introduced, which was supported by his colleagues in Congress, and later signed into law by President Bush.

“It is an honor to recognize the great contributions that Lino Perez Jr. made to his community in Starr County,” said Congressman Cuellar. “The naming of this post office in his honor commemorates his hard work and dedication to the residents of Rio Grande City.”

Perez was born in Rio Grande City in 1914, and attended high school in South Texas and in Austin. He returned home to Rio Grande City shortly after graduation to begin his career with the post office in 1934 under the guidance of his father. After more than two decades working through the ranks at the Rio Grande City Post Office, Perez was named Postmaster of the same facility.

His strong work ethics were instrumental in upgrading the Rio Grande City Post Office to a “2nd-class” facility. He established the city’s first mail delivery service, created several rural mail routes in Starr County, and helped lay the foundation for his community’s future growth. After 41 years of loyal service, Perez retired from the Rio Grande City Post Office, but is still warmly remembered by his family, friends, community, and former co-workers for the many contributions he made to the postal service.

In addition to his busy work schedule, Perez still found time to get involved in his community. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and served as council President, State and International District Deputy, and Captain of the Guard. Perez eventually became Texas State Deputy, the highest Knights of Columbus position in the state.

Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care, economic development and national security are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Senior Whip.
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