I miss you, my loving, kind, and gentle brother. Carmen 

so sorry to hear, lost contact with him 15yrs ago when I moved to saint augustine florida, jose cody and his x barbara saved my life back in june of 1995,they were an insperation to me .god works in misterious ways,hope you find piece and joy loved you brother.chris Balog

He helped me understand the enduring love of God & taught me the importance of humility. My brilliant train wreck of a father. That would have made him laugh. His infectious laughter can only be described as the cackling of a madman-and I loved it to death. I tried to make him laugh as much as possible just to hear it. He had such perseverance despite the many blows he had experienced throughout his time here. All of that pain and suffering had helped him evolve into one of the most empathic and thoughtful individuals, which in turn allowed him to help countless people. He used to tell me nonchalantly that he was just “saving souls.” He breathed life into everything & everyone he touched. Whether it were his plants and aquariums or children that were so broken death would have been a more humane option. Not for dad. He encouraged them to focus on the good of what was to come. Through his love, those Lakeside children recognized their value and understood that the difficulties they had endured should not be a burden but a source of strength in this life, and as he started a new center for adults who had aged out of the foster care system, he did so with those Lakeside children on his mind and in his heart. And what a presence! Complete strangers would come up to him and start telling him their life story, feeling his heart and Gods’ grace amidst the noise. I was fortunate to live in a reality where “high class problems” as he referred to almost everything were not to rent space in my head.  No one was beneath anyone, and those ostracized were the ones he preferred to call his friends. He was a man of great fortitude. He was a beacon of hope during troubling times. He was my father, and I know one day I will greet him again, but until then, soft breezes, or light streaming through the fractured fronds of an old tree will suffice. I will keep on fighting the good fight as you have always taught, & your love will forever be my guiding force. Love your Dulcinea

Ohh Tío Jose! One of my favorite uncles, I can still hear your contagious laugh now. I’ll never forget how excited I would get to visit you at your house in New Jersey. We would go on long hikes with your sweet golden retriever Cody, eat pizza, watch movies, clean your fish tanks, and I loved every minute of it.

As years went by, I was still able to have the longest and most meaningful conversations with you. You were a man full of wisdom and knowledge about life, that it was hard not to go to you for advice.  In a matter of minutes, you had the ability to connect with anyone and have them open up to you about the most distressing topics, but all at the same time providing perspective,  comfort & consolidation. You were a rare person that knew exactly what was important in life- God, family, compassion & forgiveness for others. 

I feel lucky to have been able to have a role model like you in my life. I am happy you were able to find such a wonderful woman like Lucia to share your life with. You stayed strong for so long for your family, but I am glad you no longer are in pain or suffering and are at peace with God and all of our other loved ones that have passed before us. 

I love you Tio Jose & I will keep you alive in the memories we’ve had and the life lessons you have taught me. 

I would love to try and practice my Spanish with Jose.  He was so brave.  I respected him so much.
Charlotte Campbell       from the park

How can I describe a man who was so complex?  Dad was a man who loved us unconditionally,  who was never judging and was always accepting no matter what we threw at him! He understood what being a good father represented; he knew he was laying the groundwork for the women he wanted us to become.  With his calm and compassionate demeanor, he sought to understand our choices rather than to change them as we utimately were responsible for our own decisions. By doing so, he equipped us with the tools necessary to tap into our inner voices, to look within to find the answers we needed.  He was emotionally available, possessed a spirituality that transcended religion and facilitated my ability to look inward as I navigated through the hardships in my own life; always providing gentle encouragement and instilling confidence along the way. Dad always spoke of participating in esteemable acts of kindness which in turn served to build our self-worth. Without it, we wouldn't be capable of living our life to its fullest potential. He also spoke of not letting things rent space in our heads so we wouldn't carry the negativity of anger or resentment. Much of the wisdom he imparted was deeply connected to the demons he could never supress within himself. I will be eternally proud of his strength to persevere despite enduring his own relentless pain and suffering. Through it all, he remained dedicated to uplifting everyone he came into contact with, with his ever-present words of advice and kindness.  It was a long and winding road dad, but you taught me how to roll with the ebb and flow of life and to keep fighting the good fight. Please know that Lucia, your guardian angel, will always be in our lives. We are forever indebted to her for the love and care she provided to you and for the dignity she helped to ensure that you maintained.  I'm so sorry Nicholas and Ariana won't have the opportunity to get to know you better; but they WILL know about the man you were.  Be at peace...

My dearest brother in law! It will be impossible to fill this page without shedding tears of joy in celebration of your life! And what a life has been! We often ponder how one man can have so much intellect and patience to strive to figure it out, without committing to becoming cynical and suspicious about how it all works! You did that so well and with such elegance! From the first day we met you allowed me into your life like an open book, so full of dreams and possibilities to explore the unknown! You shared your beautiful girls with all of us allowing us to see them grow into such beautiful and caring women who will carry your legacy of service and selfish kindness for others! You chose to comfort the ill and forgotten, but in the process you kept us feeling safe and grateful! What a legacy! I will never forget our times together and wish you a happier world than the one you left, knowing that all those who have been touched by your grace, will relish in your memory! Cheers to life! May you Rest In Peace! Atilio

 Jose Luis,  how  can go on with a peace of my spirit missing? The words that best describe our relationship are kindness, compassion, sharing, forgiveness, resilience and perseverance. Above all else, we shared love. Growing up, you were there to guide me, protect me, ease my pain and clean me up when I fell, stop my crying and get me back on my feet so I could keep playing. But mostly, you showed me love. You were incredibly gifted with intellect, musical , mathematical and artistic talent. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have made it through calculus in college! You made everything look so easy and you did it with such grace. Later in life you shared some of the demons that you had  battled,  but there seemed to be nothing you couldn't surpass. Your talents  flowed from you and you multiplied  them for others. Above all else, you expressed your love. In adulthood, I saw you raise Lisa and Stephanie, 2 beautiful, strong women who are  brave and resilient. When I shared my life experiences, you were there to pat me on the shoulder or give that strong soothing hug. No matter how distressed you might have been, you always made time to talk and I never heard from you that you were too busy to listen. You listened with love. You were always cautious to not give advice or judge, but in your gentle way, you made clear what would be better options to proceed. When I became a mother and especially during the teen years, your expression was "always remember to come from love."  In your senior years, you suffered unbelievable pain and  health challenges, but you went through them as a process of life. You found the light in Lucia, your beloved wife, who had the patience and demeanor to tame the "wild child" in you.  I will remember you in in all that exists, especially in nature which you loved so much- the parks, the ocean, the rivers, the bird songs and the wind.  i will remember the love we shared, until we meet again by dear big brother, Little Jose

Gentle, Loving, Sincere. Uncle Jose, I never spent time with you without feeling showered with your admiration. We would joke that around you, I felt like a princess. You never failed to take any opportunity to uplift another person. When I think of you, I feel a sense of calm... your gracious, open and grateful heart is in every memory.

I pray for sweet and selfless Lucia, for Steph and Lisa, and for grandma, that they all find peace in knowing you are now beautifully healed with the Lord.

Dear brother, 

I bid you adieu, for this brief life only, 
and offer you the great eleven words we once discussed:

Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
I love you.  

Jose Luis Ceron was an amazing father in law, he took me under his wing when he first met me. He helped and encouraged me to attend a entrepreneur workshop to start my web development business and I had the privilege to have him attend my graduation, when I was in my late twenties. 

When I use to visit his home he would invite me to his office and we would sit in front of his big colorful fish tank and at the same time offering priceless advice. It was always a very tranquil zen-like setting. There’s one advice that I never forgot,  it was...To Always Show Up. 

Jose Luis Ceron was blessed with an amazingly patient and compassionate woman, Lucia. He was very fortunate to have Lucia, who has the heart of a saint. If it wasn’t for you Jose, I wouldn’t have met Stephanie and I wouldn’t have Nicholas and Ariana, your precious grand kids. I’m forever grateful for who you were as a person to me and all the sound wisdom you shared with  me.

I pray that God’s peace be upon Lucia and the entire Ceron family and may we all find comfort during this sad time.

You are no longer suffering and now you are forever free...we love you, Jose!!!

In gratitude,
William

My beloved Che Lui,
My gentle, loving, patient and kind brother who taught me how to tie my shoes and make paper sail boats, I will miss you. Your sage advice and encouragement helped me overcome many life challenges and guided me when making major life decisions.
I will miss our conversations where you imparted your wisdom and helped me see in myself abilities and the capacity for continued growth and spiritual development. You have been a mentor and inspiration and your presence will always live in my spirit.  You had courage to take the road less traveled and modeled Christ-like compassion and love. I expect Heaven is rejoicing.

Jose Luis was a wonderful man that I was proud to call my father in law. Throughout his life, he carried pains that many of us would struggle to rebound from however, he always overcame them and excelled. His deep sense of humanity is something that we can all emulate and his ability to connect with so many young people that society had neglected has always been an unheralded and heroic feat to me. 

I'll miss the sound of his laugh and our talks about the importance family, humanity and justice.  Times spent with him were always fun and happy times. Over the last few years as physical pain grew he never lost sight of what was most important to him,his family.  Getting to see his daughters become wonderful caring mothers was his greatest joy in life and his time spent with his grandkids was special for not only him but Lisa, myself and our boys.

Writing this brings tears and sadness but it also brings happiness for him to be free from the pain that he felt in the physical on earth. His soul is now amongst the stars in heavan where eternal peace and love exists and his beautiful friends and family are waiting for him. God blessed us all in knowing him and I look forward to meeting him again someday and having those deep intellectually stimulating conversations once again.

Thank you Jose Luis your grandkids were blessed to call you grandpa and Lisa in calling you dad. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms from day one and treating me as your son.

Until we meet again,

 Francis 



Remembering my brother---a special soul
After collecting myself from the news of my brother’s departure from this world I cannot but think that he’s finally sharing eternity with his Heavenly Father.  José Luis was gifted with extraordinary talents, a superior intelligence, a sensitive perspective towards the world, a sense of love towards his family and all that were around him as well as deep abiding faith in Jesus Christ.  Fellow traveler in the road of transition from once culture to another, many times he bore the weight of senseless and ignorant prejudices.  He was a source of pride and awe to me, his company was always a source of wisdom and special teachings…I miss him and all he represented.  I miss his sense of humor, his keen conversation, his loving care. The times we shared as we were growing up---I miss everything about my brother.
I thank the Lord for sending Lucia into his life to alleviate his burden and celebrate the privilege of marital bliss, I thank God for his children, Stephany and Lucia, who were always present for him and taught their children the special value of their grandfather. I’ll always remember his   smile, sensitivities and above all, the underserving love I received from this wonderful human being.  Although we’re all sad, in the bottom of our hearts we’ll keep his memory present and consider him our star who traveled a special trajectory while fully realizing that we’ll see him again by the good will of the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ.
 
José M. Cerón
March 25, 2019

Tío siempre fuiste mi llamada en el brake del trabajo. Luego fuiste mi llamada a distancia para contarte las aventuras locas y romances perdidos. Siempre me aconsejaste que todo en la vida pasa y siempre es bueno tener a Dios como norte, pues el corazón del hombre es egoísta y siempre busca lo suyo. Tú sabias de eso. 
Ciertamente tenías una fuerza admirable, una sabiduría adecuada para cada circunstancia , amor por tus tough woman y sobre todo Fe. 

Extrañare tu sentido del humor y como todo le sacabas algo bueno aunque todo se estaba cayendo a pedazos. Gracias por ser el tío querido y le doy gracias a Dios que por lo menos esto no será un adiós para siempre, sino un hasta luego. Estás con nuestro Salvador disfrutando de su infinito amor.

OBITUARY

Jose Luis Ceron

16 March, 1953 – 23 April, 2019

Serenity Funeral Home & Serenity Gardens Memorial Park

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