Singing was his strong suit, but his loving spirit was stronger. Even after his death, 27-year-old Alan Berumen still found a way to revive others.
SAN ANTONIO — Loved ones are remembering the lead singer of a local band who died following a rollover on I-35.
It happened Monday around 3 a.m. New Braunfels Police say a 27-year-old man from San Antonio was driving on Loop 337 when he lost control while turning onto the southbound lanes.
Family identified the victim as Alan Berumen, who suffered injuries so severe he died in the hospital.
Alan’s sister, Brenda, said the rollover happened just a short time after he watched the Super Bowl with his cousins.
While the family doesn’t know why he was in New Braunfels, what they know for certain is Alan’s final hours before the crash were filled with joy.
“My parents are immigrants from Mexico, and we’re all very proud of our culture. But man, did my brother showcase it,” said Brenda in an interview Friday afternoon.
Since he was a child, Alan loved to entertain.
“It was easy to just be entranced with him. He was like the life of the party,” said Brenda. “He was the star of the show everywhere he went.”
Born and raised in San Antonio and a graduate of Madison High School, making friends came easily for Alan.
So did learning new skills.
“He played the saxophone, he learned how to play the accordion and he was learning how to play the guitar,” Brenda explained. “He would and could do anything and everything.”
Alan was the lead singer for Tamborazo Herradura. The band would perform at various events, like quinceañeras.
During the day, he worked for Pressure Pump in San Antonio, learning all the tricks of the trade.
Performing was Alan’s passion, but his dream was to provide a bountiful life for his parents.
“Just to provide for my parents, to be honest with you, that was his like, ‘I wanna be able to do this for my dad and I wanna be able to do this for my mom,'” Brenda explained. “I think part of the reason that he loves singing as much as he did is because he felt like that was the way he bonded with my dad.”
Perhaps more impactful than his musical talents was Alan’s ability to make anyone laugh.
“He would say the most crazy things and just from when he started laughing, everyone else would start laughing and you couldn’t control it,” said Brenda with a smile. “One of my other cousins had a video of him at work, for some reason, doing the John Cena sort of hand dance…I had a video of him modeling my cousin’s cheer shorts.”
Alan’s friends and family filled an entire floor of the hospital while he was in the ICU. Most of them wore yellow, Alan’s favorite color.
“It’s been so beautiful to see how many people have come together for him and just how many people loved him,” said Brenda, holding back tears.
Even after his death, Alan still found a way to revive others.
“He was able to consent in his final hours to make sure that he donated his organs, and we were very blessed to be able to do a walk of honor,” said Brenda.
Brenda said her brother left her with a parting gift. It’s a lesson about the importance of making the most of your time with those you care about—especially your siblings.
Alan will be laid to rest Monday afternoon.
A GoFundMe page set up for the Berumen family has raised nearly $30,000.