Jose passed away unexpectedly on his birthday and wedding anniversary, in the early morning of May 7, at his home in Toronto.
He is pre-deceased by his wife Teresita and eldest son Jesus (Jessie).
He leaves behind his 8 remaining children, 28 grand-children, and 10 great grand–children who will miss him so.
He will not see the arrival of his first great-great grand-child into this world from Jessie’s grand-child Morghan.
When he was 15 years old, Jose wanted to help against the Japanese occupation during the 2nd world war, so he enlisted in the Philippine army (as with many of the soldiers, he had to lie about his age). He did participate in combat in the late stages of the Pacific war. In a few years he has achieved the distinction of being the youngest in military with a rank of Staff Sergeant, and has also seen action in North Korea. After the military, he served in the Veterans Memorial Hospital as an orderly, and continued on at Wellesley Hospital as a nurse’s assistant when his family migrated to Canada in 1970, until his retirement.
He loved betting on horses, and card games, especially when family and friends are around.
He has a passion for fishing and growing vegetables, and being with his children and grand-children.
And he has a knack for meeting new friends. He will be missed by all.