Quirino E. Fernandez

To Quirino E. Fernandez, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Quirino, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Quirino really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Quirino was born on July 13, 1928 in Sonora, Arizona. His parents were Ignacio Fernandez and Paula Escatel. In 1932, his mother took him back to Mexico to live due to the depression. Even as a child, Quirino had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family. Quirino returned to the United States at the age of seventeen to work with his brother picking cotton.

Always a good playmate, Quirino was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Quirino managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Quirino was raised with eleven siblings. He had seven brothers, Elias, Gregorio, Eduardo, Ignacio, Dionicio, Filimon and Catareno, and four sisters, Catalina, Crescencia, Juanita and Maria.

Quirino had a very short childhood and had to barter for food at the age of eight. He began working for a wealthy family who had cows, horses, and corn fields that needed attending to. Later, Quirino would cut coconuts with his older brothers and sold the coco milk to the locals for money at the age of fourteen. Due to the lack of family money, he would spend his free time playing with his siblings and riding horses on the ranch.

Quirino did not have a formal education as a child. Eventhough Quirino did not attend any schooling, he did learn to write and read from a teacher in Fresno, California at the age of 16.

Quirino never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Quirino to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Quirino delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Quirino was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Quirino utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Julian and Amado Fernandez. Later in life, he became friends with Jose Acosta, Manuel Ramirez, Isaac Fletes, Juan Moran, Manuel Rubalcava, Javier Jimenez and Adalberto Gonzalez. Quirino loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Quirino very easy to approach. On March 1, 1954 Quirino exchanged wedding vows with Maria Refugio Macias Martinez in San Martin de Bolanos, Jalisco Mexico Iglesia De Nuestro Senor Santa Rosa. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Quirino related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Quirino had seven children: one daughter, Martha, and six sons, Oscar, Henry, Richard, George, Sergio and Quirino Jr. Quirino was blessed with twenty-four grandchildren, Juan Carlos, Violeta, Armando, Robert, Quirino Jr., Oscar Jr., Maria Elena, Damian Efren, Estanislao Jr., Lisa Rocio, Sean Paul, Catherine, Maria Elena, Anthony Richard, Marcus Quirino, Garrett Joseph, Skylar Marie, Ashley Nicole, Beverly, Aaron, Adrian Jordan, Andrew John, Curtis Michael, and Dessirae Marie. Quirino was also blessed with nineteen great grandchildren. Quirino had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Quirino's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Quirino had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Quirino was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Quirino liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. He was also an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. His primary occupation was as a truck driver. He was employed for 46 years by various companies.

Quirino enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Quirino liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were hunting, fishing, gardening, and riding horses. Quirino was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Quirino felt excited and challenged by sports. He participating and competed in the Mexican Rodeo (Charreria) for over 40 years. Even if he wasn’t the best, Quirino loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Quirino relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities.

Quirino had an endless appetite for new and different activities. He was always ready to join in the fun and add his flair and energy to an organization. Because of his personality, his humor, and his ability to get along with everyone, Quirino's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which he belonged. Throughout his later years, Quirino was an active member of the Truck Driver Local Teamsters.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Quirino recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a Roman Catholic.

Living life in the fast lane suited Quirino just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Arizona, Texas, and Mexico to compete in the Charreria competition at the local, state and national level.

Quirino was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. Quirino's favorites were his horses. They were his pride and joy. Over the years he owned various horses named El Abajeno, El Indio and El Catrin.

Quirino believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. He retired at the age of 70 from Haro's Metal Finishing Inc in 1998. Shortly thereafter, he relocated to Sparks, Nevada to be closer to one of the son's that lives in Reno, Nevada. He enjoyed spending most of the day outdoors gardening and maintaining impeccable yards. His neighbors admired his work and have asked for advices on the technique of keeping such a manicured yard. Even in retirement, Quirino continued to stay in touch with his old friends and, since he'd never met a stranger, he made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in January of 2008, Quirino underwent chemo and radiation treatment that extended his life for three years. He ascended to Heaven on January 12, 2011 at 6:13 pm in a very peaceful manner surrounded by his loving wife, children, family and friends at the ranch that he so loved. Quirino is survived by his wife, Maria and all 7 of his children; his 22 grandchildren; his 2 step-grandchildren; and his 19 great grandchildren. Services were held at St. Catherine's Church in Morgan Hill, California. Quirino was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

Quirino brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Quirino E. Fernandez lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.