Jesus Confesor Barreto

Jesus Confesor Barreto passed away in the morning on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, nearly a month after his 85th birthday. Born in rural Puerto Rico in 1934, he led a life of adventure and gathered many stories along the way. He was the eldest son of seven children in a family of farmers, construction workers, and engineers. He married Francisca Hernandez on March 9, 1957, and they later emigrated to Brooklyn, NY with their two young children in 1960 where they embarked on a dream he long held to live in the greatest city on earth. He worked as a security guard and a taxi driver, and navigated the city’s complex roadways for more than 40 years even after retirement. In the 1990s and 2000s, he played an active role in the daily transportation of his family to school and work, and was always available to assist with anything from a flat tire to a flu. When his two daughters moved to Arizona in 2004, he relocated with them and continued to play a special role as a family man with a multigenerational legacy.

Regarded by many who knew him as a gentle soul, he was a man dedicated to his faith and his family. Tranquility, devotion, and steadfastness were among his virtues and the feelings he inspired in those who knew him well. Jesus is survived by his wife Francisca, his daughters, Eneida and Nelida, son-in-law Cal, and by six grandchildren and two great grandchildren: Shawn, Matthew, Melissa, Michael, Nicholas, Christopher, Mia, and Matthew Joseph (MJ). He is preceded in death by five of his children, including his eldest son Leonel who passed on in 2003.

Whether in rural Puerto Rico, a park in Brooklyn, or an apartment complex in Phoenix, Jesus loved to be outside with trees, birds, and bugs, singing folksy melodies from his youth, whittling branches, and contemplating life’s many mysteries. He will be laid to rest during a private service for immediate relations and friends of the family in Phoenix on Friday, May 17. A special and heartfelt thank you on behalf of the family to Hopell and Cecille Ampongan, Nemia Branch and Marlon Lingat at Horizon Manor One Assisted Living in Scottsdale, Arizona for their care and compassion during his final months. The dignity and respect they showed Jesus carried him through to eternal peace after a long and full life.