Jose F. Castillo

Jose F. Castillo was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Jose was born on December 15, 1937 in Belen, New Mexico. His parents were Julian and Natividad Castillo. Jose was raised in Belen, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Castillo household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Jose was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Jose was raised with four siblings. He had two older sisters, Nelli and Priscilla, one younger sister, Mary, and one younger brother, Eddie. Jose was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Jose and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Jose was always consistently loyal to his family.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Jose as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated high school from in Los Angeles, California. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Jose was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Jose always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

On May 6, 1987 Jose exchanged wedding vows with Stella Marie Silvas in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Compassionate and devoted to Stella, Jose held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Stella and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Jose brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Jose was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Jose was blessed with five children, one son, Antonio, and four daughters, Mona, Miranda, Brenda, and Jennifer. They were also blessed with eight grandchildren, Manulani, Tai-mana, Cameron, Hector Jr., Carlos, Isabella, Crystal, and Mariah.

Jose greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Jose enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Jose was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was a carrier for United States Postal Service. He was employed for 22 years. Jose worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Jose was an Army veteran. He was stationed in Germany-Fort Leavenworth, Kansas - Fort Ord, California. Jose saw action for Vietnam-Korea. He also spent several years in both. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class-E-7. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, 2 Campaigns, Vietnam Campaign with 60 Device, and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Jose seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Jose liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Jose always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were dancing and fishing. He loved to line dance. He took classes on a regular basis. Jose also liked to go fishing with his buddies from the senior center. Jose was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Jose found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Top on his list were football. He loved his beloved Rams, even if they won or lost, he would always cheer them on.

Many organizations were grateful to have Jose as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Jose was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Jose was an active member of the Clovis Senior Center, a member of the Moose, Scottish Rite, and VFW.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Jose was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Jose preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Jose was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. He would volunteer at the Provello House, an organization that helped families in need.

Jose was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was raised Catholic. Although Jose did not attend regular services as an adult, he was able to recite you the verse in the Bible.

Jose sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Jose many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards was being recognized in the Frenso Bee for being such an avid recycler.

Jose enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Jose appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Jose always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included his 76th birthday trip to Disneyland for his granddaughter's 4th birthday, and also his recent trip to Napa with his wife.

Jose was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Jose’s favorites was Bella, his beloved German Shepherd. They were best friends for 14 years. He also had other pets that he loved dearly. His family was rounded out by his pet birds, turtles, and fish. He built a pond for his tropical fish and turtles.

When Jose’s retirement finally arrived in 1998, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Frenso, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in line dancing classes. He also loved to help seniors there by doing handy work, which they could not do, and the loved the occasional fishing trips he had with friends. Even in retirement, Jose continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Jose F. Castillo passed away on March 2, 2014 at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California. His spirit was too young for his heart! He is survived by his loving wife Stella; five of his adult children; his eight grandchildren, and his two great-grandchildren. Services were held at Chapel of Roses at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. Jose was laid to rest in Vista Mausoleum within Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Jose F. Castillo. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.