Roberto “Bobby” Cuellar of Alice, TX passed away on Monday, January 20th, 2025.

Bobby is survived by his wife of 46 years, Nora Linda Cuellar; his 3 children Tiffany Cuellar Needham (Paul) of Pearland, Bobby Ray Cuellar (Melanie) of Orange Grove, and Emma Cuellar Stone (Erik) of Austin; his 6 grandchildren Isabella Needham (14), Westley Needham (12), Sophia Cuellar (8), Robert Patrick Cuellar (5), Lily Stone (3) and Emery Cuellar (1); his siblings Eliseo III “Comino” Cuellar (Elena), Julian Cuellar (Norma), and Cynthia “Cindy” Garcia (Arnold); and his aunt Ofelia Saenz (Nune) and uncles Bobby Serna (Gloria) and Jesus “Chuy” Serna. He leaves behind countless family members, including cousins, nieces, and nephews. Bobby is preceded in death by his parents, Eliseo and Dora Cuellar, and by his brothers, Adolfo Cuellar and Henry Cuellar.

Bobby was born on August 20, 1952 and married his wife on February 17, 1978. He was proud to have been born and raised in Alice and was a devoted husband, father, Wello, brother, and friend. When not on the road for baseball, he enjoyed golfing, barbecuing, mentoring young baseball players, and above all else, spending time with his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered as someone who was firmly rooted in Alice, TX, loved his family, chased his dreams, and claimed to have never worked a day in his life because “as long as I'm at the ballpark watching a baseball game, I'm happy.”

The family is a longtime supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of Alice and Alice's National Little League baseball field was named after Bobby in 1996. In 2019, the Bobby Cuellar Bridging the Gap Scholarship was established and is awarded annually to the most deserving Alice Coyote high school baseball player.

In 1969 and 1970, Bobby led the Alice High School baseball team to the program's only two district titles. The 1970 Coyotes made the school's lone appearance in the state tournament with a group of young men that Bobby remained close with throughout his life. At the end of that year, the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce awarded Bobby the 1970 Texas Schoolboy Baseball Player of the Year; the highest statewide award offered at the time.

After high school, Bobby attended the University of Texas on a baseball scholarship where he continued his exceptional play on the field and, again, forged friendships that would last the rest of this life. At the conclusion of his time on the 40 acres, Bobby was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 29th round of the 1974 draft, starting a career in professional baseball that recently saw him celebrate his 50th year.

His playing days included time with the Rangers, where he only allowed one run in 6.2 major-league innings. Bobby also spent time with the Indians and pitched in Puerto Rico and Mexico. Toward the end of his playing career, he was signed by Seattle in 1983 and served as a player coach for three seasons before transitioning to coaching fulltime. His coaching tenure is highlighted by Major League stints with Seattle, Montreal, Texas, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota. As a manager and pitching coach, he influenced the careers of Omar Vizquel, who he managed in the minor leagues as well as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Johan Santana, all of whom won their first Cy Young Awards when being coached by Bobby.

Despite all this success, Bobby was most proud of the mentorship role coaching baseball afforded him. Mentoring young men, both on and off the field, fueled his love for coaching and longevity in the game. He took particular responsibility for young Latin ballplayers (both pitchers and not) and sought to help them adapt to the American game and culture in a way that would set them up for long-term success. It was this passion for education and the development of players that made his last ten years with the Dodgers some of his most rewarding of his career. While that time includes league championships with Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.) in 2016 and with Ogden (Utah) in 2017, his transition to Special Assistant of Player Development brought him tremendous joy and allowed him to travel the continent working with young pitchers in the Dodgers organization. An added benefit, with no more young children at home, Nora had the opportunity to join Bobby on the road. They truly enjoyed this chapter of life and love.

Bobby was awarded the 2020 South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet Lifetime Achievement Award which he received in Corpus Christi surrounded by friends from all time periods in his life. In 2023 he was chosen for the Mike Coolbaugh Award in recognition of his outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field. Both these awards exemplify what anyone who knew him loved about Bobby and what we will all miss now that he has gone to heaven to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Visitation will be held from 5pm till 9pm on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at Rosas Funeral Home (1215 W Front St, Alice, TX 78332). A rosary will be recited at 7:00pm that same evening at the same location.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church (801 S Reynolds St, Alice, TX 78332) on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 10:00am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Alice. You can send a check to: P. O. Box 689 | 793 S. Texas Blvd | Alice, TX 78333 or find the Boys & Girls Club of Alice on PayPal.

Funeral arrangements entrusted with ROSAS FUNERAL HOME