Raul A. Mcginnes
August 30, 1961 - February 23, 2023
Raul Alonzo Mcginnes, costume designer, died February 23, 2023, age 61. He was a thoughtful designer, talented in both design and construction of constumes for theatrical companies in dance and music, as well as theme parks. A good part of his design career was spent with SRO Associates, Inc., the San Antonio Ballet, Opera San Antonio, and the San Antonio Ballet School.
It was early in his life, while performing Latin and Spanish dance with the Ballet Folklorico de Ybor City, Florida, out of necessity, he began to make his own costumes. He called upon the skills he learned early in his youth from both his mother, and his grandmother Josephine Rosenkranz Gonzales a dressmaker by trade.
He began assisting others in the design and production of the company’s wardrobe, eventually assuming the company title of Costume Designer. It was a fruitfull time filled with opportunities to explore this new chosen path, challenging himself well beyond being one of the company’s principal dancers. Here he thrived in collaboration with artistic director as well as the board of directors for the restyle of most of the company’s new costumes and accessories for the upcoming season. Although it was also an intense period, he would find success and prove himself as an accomplished designer.
He later saw unique opportunities to work with talented designers and craftsmen at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
His long-time interest in pursuing creative arts further developed after High School when he studied Photography, Theater, and Art & Design at San Antonio College, and the University of North Texas. His interest in dance started while performing with the San Antonio College Folk Dancers. He received extensive training in international folkdance, country western, and Latin ballroom, It was with the Ballet Folklorico de San Antonio that he traveled and performed cultural Mexican, Latin folkdance as well as classical Spanish and Flamenco. He continued this training with Jose Greco, Eduardo Montemayor, Juan Burgos, and Gisela Sotomayor and her Flamenco Fiesta.
His competence in classical Spanish and Flamenco dance enabled him to tour the Caribbean and Hawaii with Spanishamerican actress Charo, and her Dance Review. He also traveled the U.S. with Eduardo Montemayor’s Fantasia Espanola, and ultimately spending years performing classic Flamenco at The Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City, Florida.
It would be later at SRO Associates in Boerne, Texas that his talents in costume design flourished inan environment filled with artists, carpenters, sculptors and production design for theme parks such as Dollywood, Hershey Park, Sea World San Antonio, and Six Flags San Antonio. His work with SRO also included constume design and production with US Army Entertainment, San Antonio Ballet, and Opera San Antoino.
Family was important to Raul. He made many lifelong friends during his career who became his extended family, many located in Tampa, Florida, New York City, and here in Boerne and San Antonio, Texas. Many of those friends were joyed to share their knowledge of costume design and construction with him. Throughout his journey, he was eager to chat up the business with younger, skilled artisans, leaving a legacy by mentoring and developing future talents in design and consttruction.
He is survived by his mother, Mary Ann Mcginnes; sister and her husband Ann Mcginnes and Barry Swisher; sister and her partner Florence Garcia and Julio Guerrero; brothers Edward Mcginnes, George Mcginnes and his wife Kim Sykes; uncle, Gilbert Gonzales; aunt, Jeanette Mcginnes; as well as numerous cousins whom he was proud to call family. He was very close to his nephews Everett Garcia and his wife Keri, David Garcia, and Aaron Mcginnes and his wife Laura.
He also leaves behind his loyal canine friends,
A Mass of the Resurrection is held on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 10:00am at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 Summit Avenue, San Antonio, Texas. A private internment, at a later date, takes place at Mission Park North Cemetery. He was sentimental to animal rescue, and in lieu of flowers, one can donate to the San Antonio Human Society (http:// sahumane.org).