Joe Joey Orlando Monreal Jr.

April 21, 2011

After a valiant five-year battle with cancer, our beloved Joe passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Born in Madera, CA and raised in Las Deltas, then Firebaugh, CA, Joe skyrocketed from his humble beginnings in the Central Valley to leave his brilliant and enduring imprint everywhere he went and deeply touching everyone he met. A true champion in every endeavor he undertook, Joe's personal qualities outshined his stellar athletic and professional career achievements.

A country boy who picked tomatoes, chopped cotton, packed cantaloupes, drove tractors, forklifts and other equipment, Joe also had a knack with animals, breaking and training his horse Toby, and caring for a menagerie of farm animals including a goat which helped him hone his football skills with helmet-to-head-butting bouts. An accomplished athlete and All-Conference all-star, Joe excelled in football and baseball at Dos Palos High School, greatly contributing to the Broncos' winning team records and championship victories. Averaging 100+ yards rushing with multiple carries per game, and an impressive record for TD's scored, Joe achieved a career-high of 235 yards rushing with 3 TD's to earn the Prep-of-the-Week honors by the DP Sun-Star sports staff. Nicknamed "Super Flea" because of his 140-lb. weight and 5'5" stature, his lightning quick speed and elusiveness, and his great ball-handling, Joe topped his football career by being named to the All North Sequoia League first team as an offensive running back in his senior year.

His athletic prowess extended from the gridiron to the baseball diamond as Joe also racked up impressive career stats in hitting, scoring and fielding. He led the league in stolen bases and again secured a place on the dream team as an outfielder on the 1974 All North Sequoia League baseball team. At graduation, Joe's achievements included Varsity Football Captain and Most Inspirational Player for 1974, Dos Palos High School Class of '74 Outstanding Senior, and the American Legion and National Lion's Club Scholarships.

Joe pursued his college education in Economics/Business Management, and received his Bachelor of Science degree from UC Davis in 1979. While there, he engaged in a new sport, tennis, which became preeminent in his future life. Despite the lack of formal training, Joe's natural athletic talent enabled him to ascend to the #2 ranking in the Northern California division of the USTA. He achieved several championship wins in both Men's single and Men's doubles tournament play in the Bay Area. After graduating from UC Davis, Joe began his professional life with a career at Bank of America, moving up the ranks from management trainee to Assistant Vice President - Branch Operations at the their flagship branch, San Francisco Main Office. Joe was recognized and awarded the Presidential Letter of Appreciation for outstanding achievement above and beyond the call of duty, and the prestigious Exceptional Performance Award commendation in 1991. He was designated a Certified Productivity Management trainer at the corporate level and capped his banking career as a Special Projects Manager conducting high level executive studies and various full-scale implementation programs for federal and state regulations.

Ever questing for new adventures in success, Joe switched careers from banking to sales in 1992. His first foray as an Account Exec at Transworld Systems, Inc. proved his superior ability as Joe achieved the #3 rank top sales producer in the San Francisco - Pacific Division of 300 sales reps in less than a year. Joe had found his new calling in sales and was promoted to District Sales Manager where he developed a record-breaking sales team. Over the next 18 years, Joe broke and set records in sales production for a number of companies in different industries; automated accounts receivables, construction, luxury/executive automobile sales, audio/video/CD/DVD, and ultimately, insurance, culminating with and specializing in life/health and Medicare sales.

His career brought him home to the Central Valley in 1994, where he settled in Fresno to develop and expand the Pacific Construction company. Joe moved on to become the national sales manager at Classic Audio Video, Inc. where he achieved unprecedented $1million-plus annual sales records over a 5-year period during a downturn economy. Joe was then recruited to open up the Fresno market in health insurance sales for Cornerstone America in 2003. Using his championship skills in sales and marketing, sales training, team development, leadership and management, Joe was promoted to Division Sales Manager in less than a year. Within three years, the Fresno office ascended from the #75 ranking at its inception to #7 in the nation, increasing sales production from $4.1 million to $7.6 million. Again, Joe racked up the honors earning the Keystone Connection award for Outstanding Sales Achievement, President's Circle of Excellence awards for both personal sales and division team sales performance, Career Team Leader Ten Million QPC's Milestone award, Outstanding Team Builder Award for being the #2 Team Builder in the nation. In 2006, Joe was awarded the prestigious Spirit of H.O.P.E. Award in recognition for his enduring commitment to help and serve others - he was the 3rd person in the 18-year history of the company to receive this award.

Tennis continued to be a major commitment after returning to Fresno. Joe played all the major tournaments in the valley and collected more championship trophies in both Men's single and Men's doubles tournaments. He approached tennis just like business - he practiced with purpose, played to win and analyzed his performance and that of his opponents with as much scrutiny as a new marketing strategy. Yet Joe was the biggest clown on the courts. It unnerved his opponents that he was so jocular, but beat them with such precision. He epitomized good sportsmanship and dedicated practice to the sport to improve his game. He made every match entertaining and commanded the respect of his fellow tennis players with the high caliber of his arsenal - powerful forehands, deadly volleys, unbeatable overheads, beautiful service motion and the most precise and "perfect" backhand in the valley. Joe took the Central California Tennis Association by storm and won everyone over from the juniors to the open level and the senior circuit. Tales of his pranks and tomfoolery on the courts will live on alongside the memory of his great tournament wins and his willingness to help and coach his fellow players to improve their games.

Joe was diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer in 2006. Despite this affliction, Joe's proven winning qualities predominated. With the help of his oncologist, Dr. Marshall Flam and his surgeon, Dr. Rendoll Concepcion, and the outstanding medical staffs at the Hematology-Oncology Clinic, St. Agnes Medical Center and the Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, Joe was able to battle the cancer and beat it down for five years. The ravaging effects of treatment and multiple surgeries proved too much for Joe and we sadly let him go on April 21, 2011 to celebrate the Feast of the Lord's Supper with Jesus in heaven.

Joe leaves behind a legacy of life and love even larger than his athletic and professional accomplishments. His infectious smile, entertaining personality, brilliant and intelligent wit, fun-loving sense of humor, enduring faith, indomitable spirit and unquenchable love for life influenced, inspired and touched everyone who met him. Whether you were a momentary encounter or a lifelong friend, a field worker or a renowned & celebrated professional leader, Joe could relate to you in a way that left you a better person. He was "larger than life" and could walk with beggars and kings. He was a hero as well as a champion in every sphere of his life. His circle of family and friends was never a closed one; it expanded across businesses, cultures, languages, regions and states across this great nation which Joe loved.

You may be gone from this earth, but you will never be forgotten. Your spirit lives in eternity with our Heavenly Father and in the hearts of all of us who had the privilege of loving you and being loved by you in return.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Melanie, and his son, Matthew Joseph, who is now happily reunited with his daddy.

Joe is survived by his loving parents, Jennie and Frank Gomes, and Joe Monreal, Sr.; his devoted wife of 26 years, Leana; his precious daughter, Maria Angelina; his brother Mark and wife, Diane Monreal; his sister Denise and husband, Brian Burton; his sister Amanda Gomes; his brother-in-law, Leonard Alvear; his sister-in-law Lisa and husband, Richard McGuire; twelve nephews and eight nieces.

Remembrances may be made in Joe's name to the American Cancer Society.

Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. followed by Recitation of the Holy Rosary at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church at 7:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at St. Peter's Cemetery.