At 83, boxing coach Hector Rocha of Houston finally got his match – outside the ring.
After a six-week battle with COVID-19, Rocha lost the battle and died on 15 August.
“Father would open his big arms to anyone who had a willingness to learn,” said Hector Rocha Jr., Rocha’s son. Rocha Sr. is survived by Rocha Jr., two daughters from his second marriage, Yvonne Rocha-Contreras and Zamieleth Villasana, and his wife, Maria Elena Aviles.
Rocha sr. Owned by Rocha’s Boxing Gym, on the north side of Houston, where hundreds of children learned how to throw punches and escape for more than 40 years.
‘Boxing runs in the family. It’s in our blood, ”said his son.
The ability to throw a left hook was one of the few things Rocha brought with him when he immigrated to Houston from Monterrey Mexico to Houston in the 1970s.
“He started as a pro fighter with his brother before moving on to coaching,” said Rocha Jr. Coaching allowed Rocha to mentor young people, especially those who grew up in inferior communities.
“He wanted that point to be for children without direction,” his son said.
Even as an octogenarian, he still did what he loved most: mentoring, coaching and being in the ring. A tough but friendly spirit, his father made his family and the gym always his priority, Rocha Jr. said.
After experiencing symptoms for a week in June, he was admitted to St. Louis on June 30. Luke’s Vintage Hospital in Houston. He would not set foot in his gym again.
With his death, Houston lost a local boxing legend, and his students and family lost a man they worshiped. He was a great father, grandfather and father figure to many in the boxing community.
“He was always active, healthy and in good shape,” Rocha Jr. said. “No one saw this coming.”
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His son said he focused on keeping his legacy from his father’s life by hosting a fundraiser to keep his gym open.
A funeral service is scheduled for August 28.
“My dad imagined the lessons he learned from boxing – the many fights you have in life and how to tackle challenges without fear or anxiety,” said Rocha Jr. “That’s who he was.”
