DONALD B. (SANDY) VAELLO

Donald B. (Sandy) Vaello passed away on September 7, 2021. Sandy was born in San Antonio, Texas on July 27, 1946. He was predeceased by his parents James H. Vaello and Odile Songy Vaello. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Samantha Susan Schimmel Vaello; his daughter, Samantha Louise Rodriguez; his son, Donald B. Vaello, Jr.; his granddaughters, Emily Elizabeth Rodriguez and Madeline Ann Rodriguez and his grandsons, Thomas Finnley Vaello and Luke Alexander Vaello. He is additionally survived by his brothers, James H. Vaello and Gerard F. Vaello and his brother–in –law, Vernon George Schimmel, and each of their spouses.

Sandy grew up on the Vaello family ranch outside the town of Benavides, Texas where his well-respected family operated a number of enterprises. He enjoyed the freedom of growing up in a small South Texas town where he had access to wares of the Piggy Wiggly and Vaello Sales Company to build soapbox cars, take apart radio receivers and explore the strategic detonation of cherry bombs with his brothers and cousins. It was here that Sandy developed an engineering mind and an entrepreneurial spirit that lead him to build his own companies later in life. He enjoyed summers visiting his mother’s large Louisiana family playing baseball along the River Road with teams comprised entirely of Songy cousins and exploring bayous along the levies, New Orleans by streetcar, and developing a lifelong love of good food and family.

Sandy began his career as a petroleum engineer, developing a patent for Dresser Industries that gave the company a substantial competitive edge in its oil explorations. He founded Lone Star Enterprises in the mid-1980s, successfully drilling oil and gas wells in North Texas. Later in life Sandy started a telecommunications company, North American Industries, which provided inmates in prison the ability to make phone calls to their loved ones. In 1996 he sold his company to Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp. The company was renamed North American Intelicom, and Sandy continued at its helm for a number of years. He was blessed to work with great friends and colleagues in each of these enterprises.

Once Sandy retired from North American Intelicom he put his energies into raising organic cattle at his ranch near Tarpley, Texas. He was a proud fourth generation cattle rancher and the ranch was always his great love. Never one to sit idle, he and his wife soon started a guesthouse reservation service based from the ranch, Backroads Reservations, covering a large sector of the Texas Hill Country. Flying was also a lifelong love. When he met Susie in 1964 he did not own a car but he did own an airplane, three more followed. An accomplished pilot, he thought nothing of flying to any destination or simply spending the afternoon in the air as an antidote to the stresses of life. He was also an avid Amateur Radio operator and had friends far and wide from that hobby. He was never bored, simply looking for the next adventure.

Sandy will be missed for his great sense of humor, devotion to his family, generosity to all and his love of life. The family would like to acknowledge the exceptional professional and compassionate care givers from Alamo Hospice, Aleta Lloyd, RN and Tina Leggett, RN and his attending nurse at Morningside Ministries, Kellie Burnside, RN.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Alamo Heights Little League, PO Box 6114, San Antonio, TX 78209.

You are invited to sign the Guestbook at www. porterloring.com

Arrangements with Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 North Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, TX, 78232. 210-495-8221.