Filemon Bartolome Vela, jurist, was born May 1, 1935 in Harlingen, Texas. He was the eighth of nine children of Maria Luisa and Roberto Vela, Sr. His mother died when he was 11-years old. His father operated a small grocery store and was a notary public. Following his graduation from Harlingen High School in 1954, Vela enrolled in Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, an institution which five of his brothers were also to attend. He went on to the University of Texas at Austin but postponed his studies to serve in the United States Army, 1957-1959. After his service he entered St. Mary's University Law School, San Antonio where he received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1962. Returning home he entered into the private practice of law, served on the Brownsville City Commission from 1971 to 1973, then in 1975 he took office as a state judge in the 107th Judicial District for Cameron and Willacy Counties. He served in this capacity for five years before President Jimmy Carter nominated him as a federal judge in 1980 to fill the seat vacated by Judge Reynaldo Garza. He served as such until the year 2000 when he retired and received senior status yet continued to sit on the bench until 2004. In summarizing his 29 years of judicial service he was characterized as "a fair but strict judge…"
Judge Vela taped more than 200 radio programs stressing the value of an education, encouraging children to stay in school, and promoting literacy programs." He was a mentor to many in the legal profession. He was honored as a TSC Distinguished Alumnus in 1998 and by having a middle school in Brownsville named in his honor. His character was once best described as "a bear—a grizzly on the bench, but of the teddy bear variety in everyday life."
On April 13, 2004 at age 68, he died from stomach cancer in Harlingen. He was survived by his wife, Blanca Sanchez Vela who for a period served as mayor of Brownsville, three children, and three grandchildren.
On June 29, 2005 President George W. Bush signed a bill designating the United States Courthouse and Federal Building constructed in 2001 at Sixth and Harrison Streets, Brownsville as the Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse.
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