Jose Orlando Bolanos Alvarez, 92, of Houston, passed away peacefully April 10, 2023.

He is survived by his wife, Alejandra Casco Gutierrez Bolanos; children, Emilio Bolanos, Mercedes Bolanos, Leslie Bolanos, Jose Orlando Bolanos Jr., and Alejandro Bolanos.

Grandchildren: Harold Emilio Bolanos, Emilio Orlando Bolanos, Leslie D. Rodriguez Bolanos, Julio C. Rodriguez Bolanos, Kevin Clark Bolanos, Megan Clark Bolanos.

He was born on December 25, 1930, in Managua, Nicaragua to the late Emilio and Mercedes Bolanos Alvarez. Jose was a studious, accomplished, and disciplined man throughout his lifetime. As a young teenager, he began working as a mailroom clerk at the National Bank of Nicaragua and eventually rose through the ranks to become the Vice President of the bank. While working full-time, he studied at night to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting at the Universidad Centroamericana, then his Master of Business Administration at the Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas (INCAE), an affiliate of Harvard Business School. Jose became a force in the Nicaraguan banking and accounting industry and was known for his work ethic, pragmatism, and integrity.

As in his career, Jose exhibited similar qualities in his personal life. At 28, he married the love of his life, Alejandra Casco, and began raising a family in Managua. Jose was a family-oriented person, who led by example, instilling hard work, discipline, and Christian faith in his children. His strong will and determination helped his family overcome many obstacles, including a devastating earthquake in 1972, a civil war in 1979, radical socialist changes in the early 1980s, and immigration to the U.S. in 1986.

Jose was a man with fascinating intellect. He was very educated and spent most of his leisure time reading, studying, and learning. He enjoyed learning about all life subject matters. He blasted the news to stay well-informed and to wake everyone up. It was amazing to have conversations with him because he was very knowledgeable and would speak from his own research or personal experiences.  He practiced meditation and did yoga every day.  He also led a healthy lifestyle, except for when there was chocolate or cheese to tempt him. He also enjoyed listening to classical music, traveling the world, and being one with nature. The knowledge and experience he acquired throughout his lifetime made interacting with him remarkably interesting and insightful.

Jose was an exceptional man who will be remembered with great reverence and respect. He was funny, intelligent, honest, disciplined, strict, tranquil, loving, dedicated, responsible, and dependable. Whether it be a loving husband, a devoted father, a caring brother, an endearing grandfather, a resourceful mentor, or a loyal friend, he touched the lives of everyone he crossed paths with.

There are not enough words to describe the man he was, except that he was special and irreplaceable. Loved ones and friends always valued his company, advice, guidance, opinion, and presence. Even though he is no longer here, his legacy lives on in each of our hearts.