Mario Champion of Temple, Texas, passed away June 9th, 2026. Born April 9, 1957, in Temple, TX, he was the son of Joe Champion and Mary Luz Medrano.

Mario answered the call to serve his country, enlisting in the United States Navy in 1975 and serving honorably until 1977. He later built a career with El Paso Natural Gas that spanned decades and carried him across the Texas panhandle before he returned to Temple in his later years to be close to the family he loved most.

Mario was not a man defined by trophies or titles. He was defined by the people he showed up for. Raising his children largely from a distance, he held on in the ways available to him: keeping his obligations, making his calls, loving his kids from wherever the work took him, and he never stopped. In his later years, back in Temple with family close by, he found the life he had always been working toward – Sunday afternoons with his grandchildren, cookouts with siblings, quiet evenings watching an action movie or a Longhorns game. He arrived, at last, at the thing that mattered most to him: knowing his family was going to be alright. That was his measure of a life well lived, and by it, he succeeded.

Mario was a devoted member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Temple. He was happiest at a charcoal grill, a pool table, or the gym; watching movies with the people he loved; and cheering on his Texas Longhorns. He treasured his friendships, especially that of his cousin, Frank Medrano, and his longtime friend, Pat Flores.

Mario is survived by his children, Elizabeth Rosemarie Chandler (Christopher Cody Chandler), Michael Wayne Champion, and Katelin Marie Champion (Amanda Lynn McCoo); his grandchildren, Hunter Ryan Erickson, Lauren-Elizabeth Erickson, and Brexton Walker Chandler; Elijah Daniel Champion and Emily Rebeccah Champion; and his siblings, Anna Champion, Joe Champion, James Champion, and Mary Champion-Smith.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Luz Champion, and his sisters, Virginia Ann Hernandez and Juanita Champion.

Mario’s family would like to send our love and special thanks to the Temple Fresenius staff, especially his nurse Lucy; Baylor Scott and White Hospice staff; and Annie and her amazing staff at Our Hospice House. You each will hold a special place in our hearts for the love and care you had shown to not only our dad, but our entire family.

Visitation will be held at Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Temple on June 23rd from 6-8 pm with the Rosary at 7pm; a service will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple on June 24th at 10 am; internment will take place at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen on June 25th at 9 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at OurHospiceHouse.org/donate.