The tragic loss of an honorable man.

Jose Cuevas, a small mountain of a man. He was a rock and center for so many lives, not only in his family but for an entire community.  He leaves behind a wife, Sandra and two children, Yulissa age 14 and Izaak age 9. Jose and Sandra met in the neighborhood in Compton, CA while attending different high schools, they became best friends.  In August they just celebrated 18 years of marriage. 

 

 

He was active in his Church, often volunteering with fundraisers to benefit the community. He loved gardening and working outside in the yard.  His wife and children describe him as a busy man.  He liked to kid around and be lighthearted; using the time he had with them on the weekends and evenings as a way to maximize the memories, memories they will cherish as time goes on.  Members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the family recently celebrated their son Izaak’s First Communion.  They were also planning Yulissas’ Quinceanera, to take place in July; he and his daughter were taking dancing lessons for a father daughter dance. He was very active in his children’s lives; Yulissa explained that her father took her to school every day since the 6^th grade, sometimes giving her pep talks along the way.

Jose’s life was taken abruptly on April 30, 2013, in a fatal car accident, while headed home from a 12 hour day at work.  April 30^th just happened to be his 39^th birthday. His wife and two kids were at home waiting for him with a small cake and balloons, sadly, Jose never made it home that evening.

 

You can read about the tragic accident here http://www.myfoxla.com/story/22129504/drive-by-shooting-causes-chain-reaction-crash-one-dead

Jose was an innocent victim of violence in the South Los Angeles Community he grew up in.  A matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, his life was sacrificed. I had the honor of speaking with Jose’s wife and she shared with me that there were people sitting at the bus stop on the corner where the accident took place and Jose managed to turn the vehicle in a way that dodged the patrons as the accident came reeling at them.  He is a hero, and even in his darkest hour, was thinking on his toes to save lives. 

By day he was a workhorse in the orthopaedic community, serving 20 years as dedicated warehouse lead in the LA area for DePuy Orthopaedics. 

 

 

 

  He was a wealth of knowledge and took his career seriously.  When I met with his wife she shared stories with me about Jose’s notebook that he carried to and from work with him and at all times, never neglecting to have the information he needed to effectively execute patient care.  He made himself available at all hours of the night and would stop at nothing to ensure our accounts had the product they needed for surgery.  His compassion and dedication were evident not only at work, but at home.  He sacrificed many hours with his family for the dedication he held to his job, however balanced the intimate needs of the family when he returned home to them.  This was a man who made time for his children and met the needs of an entire community of people.  He touched many lives through the building of surgical needs in the Southern California area. 

 

  By night he was as man that would come home from work and lovingly greet his children and wife.  There were many nights he would come home hours after supper was served and the children would still gather around the table to eat with him and just talk.  His life was taken too soon, and no one can be prepared to lose a loved one and friend.  In speaking with his children I asked them if there is anything they wanted to share about their father and this is what they had to say:

  Yulissa ~ “There’s a lot to say about my dad.  I really loved him a lot.  He was fun to be around, things could be going bad and he would find a way to be happy and saw the good things in life.  He would tell us everything happens for a reason.  He taught me that, no matter how many times you fall, you always have to get back up, keep going, no matter what!  He had a great sense of humor.  The first time I told him I had a crush on a boy, he said to me, “oh, so you gave him a soda?”…  He always told me it’s better to be open than to go around hiding, be honest.  I could tell him anything.  He told me never to be afraid to be who I am.”

    Izaak~ “He was a great man, a loving father.  He will always think about us. You could always trust him.  Whenever you go anywhere with him, he makes you feel special. I love him and will miss him.

    I asked his wife if there was anything she wanted to share and she said, “He is the best thing that ever happened to me and as a result we have two beautiful children, who are the loves of our lives. To describe him, a long time ago I dedicated the song Because You Love Me, by Celine Dion.”

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all

A life taken too soon and a provider for an entire family, a hero of a dedicated man.  Jose will be missed for years to come.

If you feel led to give to this family, please help them by making a donation to the Jose Cuevas Benefit Memorial Fund through Wells Fargo Bank. 

Donations may be submitted by:

·         walking into any Wells Fargo Bank and making a deposit into the above named account, no account number is needed

·            transferring money from a Wells Fargo account over the phone to this Wells Fargo account, just give the name again