One of the many sides of Jesse is that he was an athlete, playing soccer, baseball, and semi-pro football, where he was nicknamed Fresno.. His brother Joe recalls playing alongside him when a ball was hit deep behind the right fielder. Joe who was at 2nd base ran to the cutoff position where the ball fell short, hopping in front of him. Somehow Joe managed to quickly throw to Jesse who caught it at 3rd base, four feet from the runner flying toward him. With that, the two brothers shared making the last out of the inning. A memory Joe will cherish.
Memorable describes Jesse well, and magnetic. He lit up a room. He had charisma. His smile was a mile long. The dance floor belonged to him. He owned it. Jesse was a family man. Come Christmas time, he had gifts for every child in the family. His nieces and nephews adored him. To them he was “Tio Tapatio”.
Growing up, Tapatio Hot Sauce went on absolutely everything. Always with his mom, she must have taught him to be loyal because loyal, Jesse was. He was loyal to his friends, his family, his coworkers, his children, and his girlfriend, who in his last days became Jesse’s wife. He filled in where there were vacancies, becoming the brother to his sister-in-law, for example, when a brother is what she needed. Jesse was there, for his family, at every birthday, every gathering, every event.
Our hero showed us what it means to be strong. He fought, mentally and physically. He overcame tragedy. He gave it all he had every time he came up against an obstacle because Jesse had heart. Jesse is loved because he loved. What an amazing example he left. He will forever be remembered in the hearts of those who had the privilege and the honor to know him.
