When Humberto Tapia walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Humberto was and how he impacted those around him. Humberto was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Humberto wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Humberto was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.
Humberto was born on February 23, 1981 at Clinica Porfirio Garcia Gonzalez in Tijuana, B. C. Mexico. He was the son of Isidro and Margarita Tapia. Humberto was raised in San Diego, CA. Always ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Humberto might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Humberto was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.
Humberto was raised with 6 siblings. He had 4 older sisters Esmeralda, Maggie, Silvia and Jackie and 2 older brothers Isidro Jr. and Gerardo. Humberto was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Humberto was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Humberto well in his adult life and along with his wit, outgoing personality and understanding of others he drew the admiration of many who knew him.
As a young boy, Humberto was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Humberto was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Humberto took part in football. In his spare time he liked riding his bicycle, playing video games and watching the national geographic channel. Humberto's memorable achievements included academic achievement awards. Humberto had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.
During his high school years, Humberto responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1999. Humberto was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Humberto absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Humberto, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Humberto a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.
Humberto did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his AA at City College and continued his studies with certifications in HVAC Apprenticeship. Humberto was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Humberto's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Humberto was always in quest of new things to learn and experience
With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Humberto was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Humberto was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Noe, Hugo, Chepe, Robert, Roger and Manny.
Humberto's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. Humberto was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.
Humberto was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Humberto, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Tapia home. Humberto's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.
Humberto was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was HVAC mechanic. He was employed at Southcoast Heating and Air Conditioning and for the past year and a half worked as a construction foreman for A-1 Air Conditioning. Humberto was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Humberto had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Humberto's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.
Because Humberto loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were music, riding quads, off roading, dancing and loved spending time with the family. Humberto had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Humberto's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.
Humberto derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Humberto played football. Recreational sports included recreational softball,football and soccer. Humberto was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball and football.
Throughout his life, Humberto was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Humberto seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Humberto usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Humberto was a member of the football team.
Humberto was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member St. Anne's Catholic Church. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.
Humberto's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Humberto took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Cancun, The Grand Canyon, Sinaloa and Puerto Vallarta.
Humberto was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Oso, a german shepherd and Uncla, a cat, were his pets for 12 years.
Humberto Tapia passed away on April 7, 2012 at Tijuana, Mexico. Diabetic Coma while driving resulted in a car accident. He is survived by his parents Margarita and Isidro Tapia, sisters Esmeralda, Maggie, Silvia and Jackie, brothers Isidro Jr. and Gerardo, fiancée Anna and his children Efren and Aaron. Services were held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Humberto was laid to rest in Greenwood Memorial Park,San Diego.
There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Humberto. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Humberto Tapia for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Humberto was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.
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