LUPE “CHAMP” FRAGA
02/05/1936 - 12/13/2022
Lupe “Champ” Fraga passed away in his home on Tuesday, 13th of December 2022, at the age of 86.
Lupe was born on the 5th of February 1936, in Houston, Texas, to Felix and Angela Fraga, and grew up in Houston’s Second Ward, the youngest of six brothers: Frank, Joe, Angel, Tommy, and Felix. He attended Marshall Elementary School and graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1953. While attending St. Thomas High School he lettered in baseball and basketball and served on the student council. At St. Thomas, Lupe won a TCIL State Championship in baseball and basketball. In 1994, he was inducted into the St. Thomas High School Hall of Honor.
Lupe received an athletic scholarship to attend Texas A&M University and was a member of the Corps of Cadets. While attending Texas A&M University he lettered in baseball and was a member of the 1955 Southwest Conference Championship team. He was elected to Phi Eta Sigma Honorary Society and received the Ted Mohle Accounting Award for Excellence. Lupe graduated from A&M in 1957 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University in 2003. In 2005, Governor Rick Perry ‘72 appointed Lupe to the Texas A&M Board of Regents where he proudly served for six years. In March 2015, he was named a distinguished alumnus of Texas A&M University. In September 2015, the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association honored him with their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2017, he was inducted into the Corps of Cadets
Hall of Honor at Texas A&M University. Upon graduating from A&M, Lupe entered the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged after four years of service with rank of First Lieutenant in 1962.
In 1962, at the age of 26, Lupe met James Kendigs, an owner of an office supply company, and told him he wanted to purchase it. With the help from his then girlfriend, Irene Vaeza, they worked together and she loaned him money to meet payroll in those early days. In 1982, the company’s name was changed to Tejas Office Products, Inc. Tejas just celebrated its 60th year of servicing the Houston business community.
Under Lupe’s leadership, the company received numerous recognitions. He was featured on the cover of DBA Houston Business Magazine and Hispanic Business Magazine. He was honored by the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as its Businessman of the Year in 1991. In 2001, PBS aired a nationwide television presentation featuring Tejas for their education series, “Small Business School.” Tejas was named by the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council as its Supplier of the Year in 1991, 2001, 2006, 2008 & 2016 and was one of their Emerging Ten (E-10) Award winners in 2002. Shell Oil Company honored Tejas as their Supplier of the Year in 2002. In 2003, Center-Point Energy honored Tejas as their Supplier of the Year. He was recognized in 2004 as Father of the Year by Community Partners. In 2006, Texas Southern University honored him with their Legacy Hero award. In March 2011, the Center for Houston’s Future honored him and his brother, Felix, with the Eugene H. Vaughan Civic Leadership Award for their lifetime of creating a better community in Houston. He was a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum (ALF) Class IX and was honored by ALF in April 2015 with their Public Service Award. In May of 2021, the Tejano Center for Community Concerns recognized him with their Legacy Award at their 2nd annual state of the Center. In November of 2022, the Rotary Club of Houston recognized him with their Rotary Lombardi Humanitarian Award at the 49th annual Rotary Lombardi Award.
Ever active in the Houston community, Lupe served as Chairman of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors
Bureau, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch. He was a former board member of the Greater Houston Partnership, the United Way of Greater Houston, the National Board of Directors of the YMCA, Harris County Child Protective Service, the Ray Childress Foundation, St. Thomas University Board of Trustees, and a trustee of the Strake Foundation.
Lupe’s passion to serve the underserved students of Houston is very evident by his service as a former Trustee for the Cristo Rey College Preparatory School that opened in 2009. He endowed scholarships at the University of St. Thomas, University of Houston & his alma mater, Texas A&M University.
Lupe married his beautiful wife, Irene Fraga in 1966 with reception followed at the Rice Hotel. They enjoyed Aggie football games, Astros games, traveling, social engagements and Lupe affectionately referred to her as “Renee.” Lupe and Irene have three children, Michele R. Fraga, Alisa M. Kautzmann and Stephen M. Fraga. All three children grew-up in the company and he turned the company over to them in 2004. Alisa’s husband Frank also works for Tejas in sales. Stephen has served as President since 2004 and Alisa is the administrative manager; while Michele selflessly took on the responsibilities of caring for their parents.
Lupe was a devoted father, father-in-law and grandfather and proudly attended all matters of football games, baseball games, basketball games, volleyball games, softball games, dance recitals and graduations. He was proud of his grandchildren, Frank N. “Nick” Kautzmann, V, Aggie Class of ‘21 and Marissa A. Kautzmann Aggie Class of ‘26. Nick called his Papi weekly to discuss Aggie football, Astros baseball, and other worldly topics. Marissa spent a lot of time with him, and they had a special bond as his only granddaughter. He enjoyed talking sports and American History chats with his grandsons Gregory M. Fraga, Stephen M. Fraga and Andrew M. Fraga. Lupe always laughed when his daughter-in-law would call him and say “Hello, it is your favorite daughter-inlaw.” Each time he chuckled and said, “You’re my only daughter-in-law.” Lupe relied on his son-in-law, Frank, for those house repairs or finding things that went missing. Once fixed or found they would often end with a chat about Houston sport teams or the latest segments airing on Fox News.
Lupe was preceded in death by his parents, Felix and Angela Fraga; brothers, Frank Fraga, Joe Fraga and Angel Fraga. He is survived by his wife Irene; his loving daughters, Michele R. Fraga, Alisa M. Kautzmann and her husband Frank N. Kautzmann, IV, and his beloved son Stephen M. Fraga and his wife Michelle M. Fraga. His five beloved grandchildren also survived him: Nick Kautzmann, Marissa A. Kautzmann, Gregory M. Fraga, Stephen M. Fraga, Jr. and Andrew M. Fraga.
The Fraga family is deeply grateful to Dr. Seva Papageorge and the team at Houston Methodist who provided Lupe with the best care and quality of life in his twilight years.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from four o’clock in the afternoon until eight o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 21st of December, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at ten o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 22nd of December, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston, where Fr. Wayne W. Wilkerson, Pastor, will serve as celebrant.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the nearby Parish Life Center.
Please visit Mr. Fraga’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where fond memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family.