Mr. Jose Gomez

Eulogy for Jose Gomez, given by his daughter Alice Gomez Ruiz JOSE GOMEZ WAS KNOWN TO MANY AS PEPE, PIEN,

JOE, MR. GOMEZ, PAPASITO, GOMEZ, DAD, GRANDPA, UNCLE JOE AND HUN.

MY DAD WAS THE KIND OF MAN THAT ALWAYS TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING. IF DAD TOLD YOU HE WOULD MEET YOU SOMEWHERE

AT 10AM, 10AM HE WOULD BE THERE WAITING. I REMEMBER ONE AFTERNOON WHEN MY PARENTS HAD JUST MOVED TO SECAUCUS, DAD AND I WENT TO ACME FOR SOME GROCERIES, THERE WAS AN

ELDERLY LADY IN FRONT OF US CHECKING OUT AND DAD PACKED HER GROCERIES AND PUT THEM IN HER WAGON. THE LADY TURNED TO ME AND SAID, WHAT A GENTLEMEN, AND I REPLIED WITH A SMILE, THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE HIM ANYMORE.

MY DAD WAS A MAN WHO HAD AN ANGEL WATCHING OVER HIM. HE

WORKED FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS OF HIS CAREER AT THE MARRIOT HOTEL IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. IN 1993, THE YEAR OF THE

WTC GARAGE BOMBING, DAD WAS NOT AT WORK AND AGAIN ON

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001, DAD WAS NOT ON THE SCHEDULE TO WORK.

MY DAD WAS A MAN WHO COULD HAVE WRITTEN THE BOOK "HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE IN 7 DAYS" AND "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF.

HE ENJOYED THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE. IF YOU WERE TO ASK HIM TO DESCRIBE A PERFECT DAY, HE WOULD SAY, ON A SUNDAY MORNING, SARA, MARIA AND I WOULD DRIVE TO PARSIPPANY AND MEET ALICE, SHE WOULD LEAVE HER CAR AND OFF WE WOULD GO,

80 WEST TO RT. 15 TO RT 94 IN SUSSEX COUNTY. DAD KNEW THAT AREA LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND. ON OUR LAST TRIP THERE A FEW MONTHS AGO, DAD ASKED ME TO PULL INTO A LOCAL FARM WHICH HAD HUNDREDS OF COWS. DAD LOVED COWS AND WOULD ALWAYS GET OUT OF THE CAR AND TALK TO THEM IN WHAT I CALLED "SPANISH FARMER LANGUAGE." DAD KNEW WHO OWNED ALL THE FARMS, WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS WERE THERE, AND HOW MANY ACRES THE FARM HAD. IT ALWAYS SEEMED OKAY FOR DAD TO JUST DRIVE UP LIKE HE OWNED THE PLACE. WE WOULD THEN ALWAYS SOMEHOW ARRIVE AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS. DAD LOVED LOOKING AT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND WAS ALWAYS AMAZED AT THE GOLFERS AND COUNTRY CLUB, AND THERE WAS ALWAYS THE STOP AT YETTERS DINER BEFORE COMING HOME. I GUESS THAT WAS A PERFECT DAY FOR ALL OF US.

MY DAD WAS A MAN OF GREATH STRENGTH AND DEDICATION. FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS HE WAS A DEDICATED COMPANION, CONFIDANT, SUPPORTER, AND HELPER TO MY MOM. HE STOOD BY HER SIDE EACH DAY AFTER HER RETIREMENT AND TOOK ON SO MANY NEW DUTIES. DAD STARTED WASHING THE CLOTHES, FOOD SHOPPING, AND NOT TO FORGET GOING TO THE BANK, POST OFFICE, CLEANERS AND STILL MANAGED EVERYDAY TO GO TO UNION CITY IN THE MORNING TO HAVE COFFEE WITH HIS FRIENDS. THEY WERE A VERY LOYAL GROUP. DAD NEW EVERYONE AND ONE DAY MY SON MAX WENT WITH DAD TO UNION CITY FOR LUNCH AND MAX CAME HOME AND SAID "MOM, GRANDPA IS LIKE THE MAYOR, EVERYONE SAYS HELLO TO HIM AND IN THE RESTAURANT, GRANDPA DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO PAY."

MY DAD WAS A MAN OF MANY RICHES, FOR HE HAD A FAMILY WHO LOVED HIM, AND HE LOVED US BACK. HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIS FAMILY. OUR PAIN TESTIFIES TO THE DEPTH OF OUR LOVE AND THE DEPTH OF OUR LOSS.

HE REFERRED TO ALEX AND MAX AS "MY BOYS"....HE WAS SO PROUD OF ALEX, TALL, HANDSOME, EXCELLENT STUDENT AND DAS WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT HIM GOING TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR A WEEK TO HELP THE POOR WITH A CATHOLIC WORK CAMP. DAD THOUGHT THIS WAS A WONDERFUL THING TO DO.

DAD WAS SO PROUD OF MAX AND THEY SPENT ALOT OF TIME TOGETHER ESPECIALLY WHEN MAX NEEDED A DAY OFF FROM SCHOOL. GRANDPA WOULD ALWAYS COME BY AND STAY WITH MAX.

HE ALWAYS SAID MAX HAD A HEART OF GOLD.

MY SISTER MARIA WAS DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL. HE CALLED HER MARIA

CHIQUITA. MARIA AND DAD WOULD TAKE EVENING WALKS AND THE TWO WOULD LOVE TO SIT ON THE PORCH AND JUST TALK. THEY ALSO SHARED AN ANNUAL TRIP TO SUSSEX COUNTY FAIR EVERY AUGUST.

IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS, THOUGHTS, CALLS AND CARDS. I WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO THANK MY HUSBAND, MY CHILDREN, MY AUNTS AND UNCLES AND COUSINS WHO STOOD BY OUR SIDE NIGHT AND DAY FROM JUNE 25TH UNTIL TODAY.