Carlos Reyes

Father, Friend, Business Partner

In Memoriam

Carlos Reyes was and is an incredible example of the power of mentorship, and was nothing short of a loyal friend and a strong family man.

Starting off as a subcontractor in 2006, Carlos began on a rocky start; not knowing much about the world of construction, and struggling with addiction, Carlos wanted to change the direction his life was heading in. He was part of the men’s home, Victory Outreach, and came to work alongside Todd Zaionz who was doing freelance general contractor work.

As time progressed, Carlos and Todd became close friends, and began sharing stories about their past and their faith, leading to a friendship that would last twenty years. Through his time working, Carlos learned several skills in the trade of contracting, such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and masonry, and served with a dedication and vigor unlike many. He was especially helpful later on when working alongside one of our partnership organizations, Victory Outreach, by helping translate project requirements and necessary tasks onsite.

In many ways, Carlos taught Todd some very valuable lessons as well; being a family man, Carlos took notice when his friend was working on the job site all day, to the point of showing up at dawn and leaving after it got dark. With Todd working longer hours than any of his subcontractors, Carlos began to take notice of this, and pointed it out to Todd, telling him that he needed to let his workers take care of the work on-site. He stressed to Todd the importance of having a work life balance, and to focus on managing the company rather than being the hardest worker in it. Carlos also put a lot of emphasis on them both having families to go home to, reminding him that there will always be work, but that family should come first. Todd reported that “it felt weird, but good to take a step back. I was able to spend more time with my kids and my wife, and really focus on managing and growing the company.” Carlos’s love and dedication to his family was truly incredible; even in the midst of his struggles and working to overcome them, his family would always be the thing he thought of to keep him moving forward.

Another important lesson Carlos taught Todd was the virtues of teaching, primarily patience and learning how to coach. Being the head contractor, Todd had to focus on several things; making sure the clients were happy with their progress, ensuring all the work was up to code, managing his workers, and it became a lot to handle on a daily basis. With a lot of these workers coming in knowing very rudimentary skills in their craft, including Carlos in the beginning, Todd had to learn how to properly coach his workers. Carlos’s journey to learning the trades taught Todd that patience is much more difficult than it seems; through the ups and downs of his training, Carlos noticed Todd learning when to speak up and when to let his student learn. This included how Todd gave instructions on what to do, and teaching Carlos to just trust his instincts. There was many a time when Carlos would call Todd over, unsure of what to do with the instructions he was given, however Todd would simply instruct him to just do exactly what he said to. Most of the time, Carlos would hesitantly begin, only to quickly find himself in a groove where he felt confident in his actions. It taught Todd to give detailed instructions, and also Carlos to trust his instincts.

Carlos became almost indispensable, especially in how he worked alongside both Todd and the men from Victory Outreach. Between his skills in construction, his ability to give instructions in both English and Spanish, and his understanding of how to keep a project productive, Carlos quickly became the lead supervisor for the majority of company projects. He played a key role in the company and allowed Todd to focus on strategic growth and outreach.

Tragically, Carlos Reyes fell ill during the summer of 2021, and passed away. He was loved by many people and communities, and will be remembered fondly in our hearts. The Reyes family is survived by his children, who have been surrounded by family and close friends. We at DPC Construction will forever remember the amazing man Carlos was, and hold the Reyes family dear to our hearts.