In Memoriam – The Honorable Solomon Casseb Jr. Senior District Judge (Retired)
The Honorable Solomon Casseb Jr. (Retired), of San Antonio and Laredo, passed away Oct. 16, 2009 at the age of 94. Judge Casseb proudly served as a co-trustee of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust. A longtime and devoted friend of Mrs. Vergara, Judge Casseb dedicated himself to ensuring the Trust fulfilled her vision after her death in 1989. Mrs. Vergara believed in the citizens of Laredo, and through the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust, her generous legacy continues even today. Under the leadership and commitment of Judge Casseb and his co-trustee J.C. Martin Jr., and later, J.C. Martin III, who became a co-trustee after his father’s, (J.C. Martin Jr.) death, the Trust provided continuous and exemplary support of religious, health and educational initiatives across the Laredo community.
In 2007, the UT Health Science Center’s Regional Campus in Laredo received a $2 million gift from the Vergara Trust to name its first Distinguished University Chair. Minerva Garcia, D.D.S., a Zapata native, was named the holder of this prestigious endowment – The Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust Distinguished University Chair in Oral Health, in appreciation of The Honorable Solomon Casseb, Jr., and Mr. Joseph C. Martin, III, Trustees.
Dr. Minerva Garcia directs the Health Science Center’s new Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program in Laredo, with support from the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program established at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.
UT Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, paid tribute to the late Judge Casseb.
“We will always remember Judge Casseb for his unwavering commitment to the people of Laredo, and for his leadership in creating new opportunities in South Texas through his careful stewardship of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust. He was a remarkable man and a friend to our Laredo campus. He believed in our vision to establish a regional dental campus in Laredo for the next generation of students who aspire to become dentists. Judge Casseb will be greatly missed by us all.”
