When Mariela Morineau told her father, Raul, back in 1995 that she was planning to get married, he gave her an ultimatum about scheduling the ceremony.
"Just make sure that I don't have a tournament because I will not be able to attend (the wedding)," she recalled him saying.
"He did have a tournament to attend in the U.S. He left early to catch a flight the next day."
Morineau, a native of Mexico City who spent the past 15 years living on the shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas, died last week of prostate cancer. He was 78.
He competed at the tour level with both Bassmaster and FLW in the 1990s. During one year in the early 2000s he fished every event in all four Bassmaster Open divisions – Southern, Northern, Central and Western.
An astute businessman, he was successful in the accounting, construction and real estate industries at various junctures.
"Although fishing was what he mainly cared about, he was always thinking about his next business," his daughter said. "When he decided to live at Sam Rayburn, he built beautiful Spanish-style homes 'the Mexican way,' as he called them: Hurricane-Katrina proof with 1-foot-wide concrete walls, beautiful cathedral ceilings and many colors throughout."
His final tournaments were Sealy's Big Bass Splash events at Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend in April and May with friend Brent Meaux.
"I fished with him in a Sealy's Outdoor tournament back in February and it was freezing cold," Mariela said. "His motor did not work and we ended up just fishing with the trolling motor all day. He would not quit. That would never cross his mind."
In addition to this daughter, he's survived by grandchildren Tanya and Ian. A celebration of life will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 11) at the Mornieau home at Sam Rayburn (323 Oak Haven Dr. in Brookeland), followed by a final farewell at the lake at sunset.
"Everyone who knew him is invited," Mariela said.
