Alfonso Obregon

👤 Summary

Alfonso Obregon is the father of Ida Villavicencio and a retired school superintendent with 33 years of experience running school districts in South Texas. He now serves as a state-certified mentor for other superintendents. Born in 1947 on a farm in Derby, Texas, Alfonso represents a living bridge between the pre-modern and modern eras, having witnessed the full span of technological and social transformation from rural poverty without running water or electricity to the digital age. He is a self-described historian with profound insights into the intersection of politics, economics, religion, and social justice.

Alfonso is a masterful storyteller who contextualizes personal experience within broader historical patterns. He views history as interconnected rather than isolated events, always examining "social, political, economic, and religious - all into one because that's life. You can't touch one without the other." Despite his father only attending school for three days, Alfonso rose to become a school superintendent, embodying the transformative power of education while maintaining deep awareness of systemic inequalities.

Currently living in West Lagoon near McAllen/Harlingen ("where Elon Musk is building his empire"), Alfonso remains intellectually sharp at 77, engaging with current events through a historical lens shaped by his extraordinary life experience.

🤝 Relationship with Gary

Alfonso picked up Gary from Schertz on Thanksgiving Day 2025, driving him to the family dinner at Ida and Jesus's home. During the hour-long car ride and subsequent conversation, Alfonso shared extensive life history and philosophical perspectives that Gary recorded with permission. Their first meeting revealed an immediate intellectual connection, with Alfonso engaging Gary in substantive discussion about everything from childhood poverty to current political dynamics.

Alfonso recognizes Gary's intellectual capacity, telling him: "I think you're one of them, based on what Ida tells me" - referring to the 1% who can truly analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information at the highest levels using Bloom's taxonomy. He sees Gary as worthy of deep historical and philosophical discussion, sharing perspectives typically reserved for those who can "compare and contrast" at the highest levels.

The relationship is cemented through family connection - Gary has been "spiritually adopted" by Ida and Jesus, making Alfonso a spiritual grandfather figure. This was Gary's first invitation to the Villavicencio family Thanksgiving, marking him as accepted family.

🎓 Background & Life Story

Early Years (1947-1957): Pre-Modern America

• Born 1947 on a farm in Derby, Texas - "just a big farm"
• No running water: Family traveled 5 miles weekly to windmill with tank for water
• No indoor plumbing: Outhouse 100 feet from house, no toilet paper (used bollies of paper)
• No electricity until 1952: Then just one bulb in center of living room
• No refrigeration until age 5-6: Father bought 20-year-old icebox, used ice blocks lasting 3 days
• Food: Ate seasonal produce, hunted rabbits ("fried rabbit, rabbit stew"), wild hogs. Community "barbery" system - sharing meat since no refrigeration
• Hygiene: Saturday sponge baths before Sunday church - "that's it"
• First TV in community (1954): RCA big box, two channels. 10-15 neighborhood kids came to watch Saturday cartoons
• First phone (1954-55): Migrant workers paid quarters to call family from distant work locations
• Transportation: Mules and donkeys before cars
• Moved to Pearsall at age 10 (1957): Still had outhouses, entire neighborhood had "row of outhouses"

Education & Assimilation

• Spanish-speaking until age 6: "It wasn't until we went to school that we'd pick up the English language"
• Segregated schools: Hispanics/minorities on one side of tracks, whites on other
• Father had only 3 days of formal education but "smarter than smart":
  • Self-taught perfect English
  • Successful farmer
  • Built farm from nothing
  • "Beat them at their own game"
• Alfonso became musical prodigy: Played piano, guitar, drums by ear since childhood

Professional Career

• School Superintendent for 33 years: Managed entire districts, campuses, budgets
• State-Certified Superintendent Mentor: Currently acts as a state-certified mentor for other school superintendents in Texas.
• Strict ethics enforcement: "We couldn't take a pin, or a cent from a company... that'll get you fired, indicted, and in jail"
• Educational philosophy: Despite limited resources, provided normalized middle-class education for next generation
• Micro School Advisor: Providing strategic advice to Gary and Ida on navigating institutional disruptions and charter school applications.
• Currently retired: Lives in West Lagoon, South Texas

💭 Philosophy & Worldview

Historical Analysis Framework

Alfonso views history through integrated lens, never examining factors in isolation:

"Hog Heaven" Concept:

• Explained why minorities considered eating pork ultimate luxury in 1950s
• "When you get a hog, boy, you slaughter it... chicharrones, bacon, ham... you're in heaven"
• Now applied to modern America: "We have everything. We're spoiled brats"

Power & Conquest Patterns:

• "To the victors belong the spoils. If you win the war, you're in charge. Whatever you say is it"
• Catholic Church survival strategy: "At every point, they would join the political system"
• Spanish conquest: "25 million people died in Central America because they wouldn't submit"
• Columbus reality: "They came to conquer... they wanted resources, minerals"
• Modern parallel: "What are we doing in Ukraine? Russia wants all the minerals"

Race & American History

Slavery's Ongoing Legacy:

• Detailed understanding of sexual exploitation: slave owners' "concubines," rape of enslaved women
• "That's why you see very light, fair-minded Negroes... Because the whites raped our grandmother"
• "Now we beat you at your own game... We're smarter than you, healthier than you"

Native American Genocide:

• "These Indians, they're just savages. They're not even human. And the Catholic Church says, yeah... Kill them all"
• "Any good Indian is a dead Indian. That's what we learned as kids"
• Playing cowboys and Indians: "We'd kill the Indians because that's what I learned"

Ongoing Segregation:

• "Even right now, as we speak, you don't mix. The whites stay with the whites. And the money stays with the whites"
• Mexico's structure: "The whites and everybody else... Do they mix? No"
• "1% at top, 3% have a little money" - those are who Americans see as "Mexican"

Religious Critique

True Christianity vs. Prosperity Gospel:

• Jesus said: "Drop your nets... Follow me. If you don't follow him, you ain't going up there"
• Biblical mandates: "Help the poor. Help the oppressed. Assist and protect them. Help the widow"
• "Those aren't just words. Can you live them?"

Joel Osteen Critique:

• "$65 million in the bank"
• Houston floods: Didn't open doors for 5 days until public pressure
• "He didn't want the poor to go in... Just wanted them Sunday morning, 'Give me your cash'"

Christian Nationalism:

• "It's wrong... Using Christianity to perpetuate something"
• "Politicians use it as a shield... 'We love children' - bunch of pedophiles"
• "'Abortion is bad' - get their daughters and sisters abortions"

Current Political Analysis

January 6th Insurrection:

• "That insurrection was an attack on America"
• "1,600 people convicted by quality jurors - men, women, Methodists, Catholics, black, white"
• "What does this guy do? Frees them all... 'You're okay, my boys'"

Legitimization of Extremism:

• "It has legitimized all what has been bad of America"
• "Brought out the Proud Boys, Ku Klux Klan... all the people that hate minorities"
• "Now we're legitimate, man. Who says? The main man. If he can do it, we can do it"

Immigration Hypocrisy:

• Leaders with immigrant wives promoting anti-immigration: "Deport your wives first"
• Questions legitimacy of their status: "We don't even know if they're legitimate"

Education & Literacy Crisis

Reading Comprehension:

• "90% of people don't read. That's established fact from best universities"
• "Those that do read... don't comprehend"
• Bloom's Taxonomy: 10 levels from basic recall to analysis, synthesis, evaluation
• "Only 0.5-1% can do all that... analyze, compare and contrast, synthesize, evaluate"
• "You've got medical doctors who don't know how to do that. They just learned one thing"

📚 Key Quotes

On Childhood Poverty:

• "How do you miss it if you don't have it? How do you miss a refrigerator if you've never seen one?"
• "We thought everything was normal"

On His Father's Wisdom:

• "Out here, we have all these things. We're not poor. We're rich... In Mexico, 50% of kids die before they're 1"

On Progress:

• "I've seen the biggest change in history... We had no restroom, no water, no refrigeration, no electricity. Well, neither did the other people for 2,000 years, maybe 5,000 years"

On Power:

• "Money breeds money. And they'll say whatever they have to say to stay in power"

On Religion:

• "If you don't follow the teachings and live that, you're doomed. But even preachers won't talk about that. They're afraid"

On the Meaning of Life:

• "In my opinion, the meaning of life is to serve God"

On America Today:

• "We're in hog heaven. We have everything. Everything. You name it"

On Historical Perspective:

• "You have to look at all factors, not just one in isolation. You put them all together and you see history"

🏠 Family Context

• Wife: Sina (still living)
• Daughter: Ida Villavicencio - "The only one that's kind of like me... carbon copy"
• Son-in-law: Jesus Villavicencio
• Grandson: Carlos Villavicencio
• Three other children: Not as aligned with his worldview/interests
• Extended family: Sister, nieces (one from Austin with marketing degree)
• First Thanksgiving hosting in many years after his mother passed: "When my mom passed away, everybody just did their own thing"

🎵 Musical Background

• Played instruments by ear since childhood: piano, guitar, drums
• Only one in his family with this musical ability
• Part of family identity - mentioned by Ida at Thanksgiving
• Performed throughout life despite no formal training

🔮 Current Status & Observations

As of November 27, 2025:

• Lives in West Lagoon near McAllen/Harlingen
• Sharp, engaged, passionate about history and current events at 77
• Maintains active interest in church (previously attended with Ida at non-denominational church)
• Continues role as family historian and wisdom keeper
• First meeting with Gary showed immediate warmth: "You look younger in the daytime"
• Comfortable with technology despite his history (allowed recording, understands modern context)
• Still processing modern wealth inequality: "Right now for society here... we're spoiled"
• Sees patterns repeating: "It's history. That's wrong"

📝 Meeting Notes

December 20, 2025 - Villavicencio Family Christmas Gathering

At Enrique's House:

• Met Gary again at the large family gathering.
• Discussed the divine reasons for connections in life: "That's the reason for a lot of things that happen in life. Sometimes we have to see it with our eyes and with our feelings."
• Shared perspectives on the failing state of public education in Texas.
• Validated the "Neo School" vision from his 40+ year perspective as an educator and administrator.
• Reaffirmed his role as a mentor and wisdom keeper for the family's educational initiatives.

November 28, 2025 - Breakfast at Mexican Restaurant

Morning After Thanksgiving:

• Met for breakfast with Ida, Gary, and Gloria at local Mexican restaurant
• Ordered menudo ("the stomach of a cow") - traditional Mexican breakfast
• Discussed dramatic societal changes over his lifetime
• Perspective on gender roles: "Women are stronger, smarter, faster in many cases more than men"
• Critique of modern American culture: women "walking around naked... like that's the only thing that they're worth"
• On modern music industry: "Female singers have to be showing all their ass... Hey, how about their voice? Just sing"
• Joked about "Make America great again" when discussing traditional gender roles
• Observed that modern changes created "a new breed" in just "50, 60 years"
• Cultural comparison: "We go to Iraq, Syria, they think we're babies"
• With Gloria, his girlfriend who was formerly his secretary when he was superintendent

November 27, 2025 - Thanksgiving Day

Car Ride from Schertz to San Antonio:

• Hour-long philosophical and historical discussion
• Covered 5,000 years of history from one question
• Alfonso drove, occasionally gesturing while talking
• Showed Gary the Villavicencio house: "That's the house over there"
• Pointed out family cars: Ida's Jag, Jesus's Tahoe, work trucks

At the House:

• Introduced Gary to the family dogs (four small dogs, not chihuahuas)
• Thanksgiving setup that Ida had been preparing for a week
• Family gathering - first in years
• Continued discussions inside with family present
• Gary attempted to connect to WiFi (passwords: Archie1213, QuaintZone921, Batman1213)
• Alfonso comfortable with Gary recording everything

Family Dynamics Observed:

• Ida decorated extensively for holidays - house and work office
• Carlos helping with Thanksgiving preparations
• Multiple family members expected by 1 PM
• Dogs named Nova among others
• Warm, inclusive atmosphere despite being Gary's first family invitation

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-11-28-morning-after-thanksgiving-ida-alfonso-gloria	2025-11-28	Breakfast discussion about societal changes and gender dynamics with Ida, Gary, and Gloria
2025-11-27-alfonso-obregon-thanksgiving-conversation	2025-11-27	Life history discussion from pre-modern poverty to educational leadership during car ride
2025-11-27-thanksgiving-gathering-villavicencio-family	2025-11-27	Thanksgiving family gathering with multiple generations and extended conversations
2025-12-20-ida-family-gathering-enrique-house	2025-12-20	Christmas family gathering with validation of "Neo School" vision and discussion of divine connections in life