Joe... I think of you often.   Thanks for your friendship.  Thanks for all the years of working to keep people safe and educating us.  

Receiving the notification from Dignity Memorial has prompted me to just let Joe's family know that he is not forgotten.  I think of Joe often..... and those thoughts are always relating to what a great friend and outstanding professional he was.

Please accept my most sincere condolences at this time of grief in your family.

Rest in peace, Chief. 

It had been an honour and privileged to be working side by side with you Chief. 

Me, personally, I am proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be part of your ERT in 2 consecutive projects (SPT & SBA).

You took us under your wing, taught us everything we need to know, imparted all the knowledge and skills, trained and drilled us to the core till everything became second nature. 

Throughout the years, the camaraderie and the bond we shared grew from strength to strength, on and off the job. Endless laughs, friendly banters, jokes and pranks among us were the highlights for being in your team. Typical fireman like you always said. 

Your professionalism and dedication towards the team was second to none. Like any other true great leader, you led by example. Your warm hearted personality exudes positivity.

IMHO, you have brought the title 'Chief' to an absolute different level. Beyond my expectations.

I left the team earlier with a heavy heart and I envied the boys rejoining you for CRISP.

Your untimely passing is heartbreaking but I believe God has better plans for you.

To Madeline, Aidan and family pls accept my deepest and sincerest condolence.

ERT will no longer be the same without you. None can ever replace you.

You will be sorely missed Chief.

Rest In Peace.

 A truly great boss is hard to find , difficult to part and impossible to forget ! Great memories with u from ( 2014  SBA Project To 2021 Crisp Project ). Thank your for the guidance through out the years and the ERT will never be the same without you around. 

        “ Legendary Fire Chief , Rescue Master , 
                         Mentor and brotherhood ”

                 “Gone but will never be forgotten ”

              May your soul rest in peace ...... 

As the saying goes, "picture paints a thousand words".

First n foremost, my deepest condolence to the late Joe’s family. 

I dont really work with Joe.  But i get to know Joe through my husband.  He is a wonderful Chief.   Loved by all. 

Only one thing that i will miss doing for Joe is that baking Cheesecake for his birthday.

We will deeply miss you, Joe Zepeda.

When you got to know Chief Joe there were 2 main points that came through each time you were with him.

The first point is he loved his children and was so proud of them. When you came into his office you had no option but to scan the collage of photos of his kids. They aged over the years as you stopped by the office with regular updates. The military life and the new born were I think were highlights.

A family man of character.

The second point if you took the time to think about it, Joe was a teacher. Not only did Joe  train and developed his reports to do exceptional work but he educated many Safety managers and Project managers. No fanfare just the  simple process of explaining the why and how. He told you so politely........again and again just in case you were not listening.

A good man of integrity and one you could trust with your back. 

I, like all of you will miss the man, Not fare we all say. I know he will be in a good place looking to protect.

My deepest and sincerest condolences to all of Joes family and children. 
Memories are forever. 

I first met Joe "Chief" Zepeda when we hired him on in 2009 as our Emergency Response Lead for the SPT Project in Singapore.  We spent a lot of time together sharing an office 2009 - 2012 with many good conversations & laughs.

 Joe "Chief" Zepeda was probably the most selfless person I ever met - he was always willing to help someone in need, no matter the situation or who they were. I also very much appreciated Joe's leadership, work ethic (getting stuff done), honesty, conservative values & his great sense of humor.  Joe was also very family oriented, and was so proud of his children Madeline & Aidan.

Joe started as a work colleague, but quickly became a friend - I'm very sad he is no longer with us & I will miss him, but I also know Heaven has gained another angel and I look forward to seeing him again someday.  

 Love you Chief
 RIP and I'll keep supporting Emergency Response in your memory!

Our deepest, deepest sympathy to Joe's family! Irene and Oscar, we are so sorry to hear about your Brother. We ask God to bring you, your family, and his family the needed comfort during this very sad time. We will keep you in our prayers!
Irma L. and Pete Maldonado
Dalhya. L. Cabrera

Had the honor to have worked with Joe since 2009 (Singapore Parallel Project) till the time he left Singapore in Dec 2020. 

Joe was an exceptional person be it on the job or off the job. 

On the job, Joe’s like a beacon, in the darkest of days you can be certain that he will be there. Ever so reliable, calm, and truly dependable. The best guy you could ever have by your side in times of crisis. 

Off the job, Joe’s THE best dad one you have. He would share pics and videos of both Aidan and Magdalene growing up, putting them through school, getting Aidan a wicked ride and their live journeys till he being a granddad. Remember one of the stories he shared about Aidan talking about how much he can press and dead lift and the reaction when Aidan found out what Joe was able to carry back in the day. It was hilarious.

I’m glad our paths crossed, I have learnt a lot from him. To me he’s like and older brother that I never had. 

His flame has been snuffed but his legacy lives on. 

Accept my deepest condolences... it’s heart wrenching to know that this world is without someone as great as him. 

Joe has and will always be one of the greatest person of all time.

Rest In Peace Chief. You are truly missed. 

I first worked with Joe on Singapore Butyl and Adhesions project in 2015.  A man that was truly dedicated to his craft and never wavered from his responsibilities.  He commanded respect and behaved with professionalism, dedication and with utmost integrity.  Occasionally, after work, Chief would come over and play cards with us.  A man of class and etiquette.  He had great taste in music whenever he’d DJ for us.   There was a good mix of classic rock n roll and new age rock.  I still remember all the great drinks and Mexican food he shared with us.  He’s humble, kind and always greeted you with a warm smile no matter how tough his day was.

Joe, it’s a tragedy that you were taken from us so early.  Rest easy my friend.  You will be missed.


I worked with Joe in Singapore on the SBA Project during my time in construction in 2016-2017. We were part of the SBA SSHE (Safety Security Health Environmental) team. Prior to this, I did not know Joe; but, knew he, like many on the SBA team, had played key roles on the prior ExxonMobil SPT project. I heard him called “Chief”. But who was he? I did not see that title on the org chart. 

In short order, I had my answer. I found a person of great character and exceptional leadership– leading by example and action, sharing his knowledge of emergency response with his team through training and drills, providing structure, discipline, and judgement to ensure every person was ready to handle their role in an emergency, and a “leader on the scene” to ensure the best possible outcome when an injury or incident happened.    I found a warm, positive person who cared for all those around him, a person who enjoyed life,  and who brought a smile and some fun to every day – a true friend.  

Now I understood - "Chief” was “our” title for Joe - one that showed our respect and admiration for his professional leadership and how much we valued what he did and meant for each of us. The SBA Project was a great team and Joe was a key leader.

Joe’s untimely passing leaves me (and all of us) with a deep void. My sincerest condolences to his family. Please know how much he meant to each of us. May we always remember the good times and know his spirit is with us. Rest in peace Joe.


I went to high school with Joe back in the late 80’s. He was such a wonderful person and although we lost contact over the years I was fortunate enough to reconnect with him a few years ago and it was as if time had never passed. He was caring, witty and so funny. He will always be remembered and never forgotten. Rest easy my dear friend til we meet again. My deepest condolences and prayers to his family and friends 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻  

I worked with Joe in Singapore. He set up the best trained and equipped ER Team in the country. So many people are thankful that Joe and his team turned out when things were bad. Such a sad loss to everyone that came into contact with Joe

I had the opportunity of working  with Joe for the last ten years or so  in Singapore . I’m deeply saddened to hear that he has passed away it’s very shocking to me personally . I’ll always remember him with great affection and a huge amount of respect, it was a true pleasure to work with him always he was very politeness and smile and respect for everyone’s of us   I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his family at this sad time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I worked with Joe for about 4 years  in Singapore on the SPT project.  We were both part of the Safety Team.   He was a great guy to work with, professional but full of fun and with a ready smile.  I was so sorry to hear of untimely death.  My thoughts are with you.

I worked with Joe in Singapore, he was a good friend and we shared many happy times. Joe had so much knowledge and experience on emergency response that he shared with so many people. Without a doubt he and his team were directly responsible for saving peoples lives and I have no doubt that through his sharing and teaching many more lives will still be saved.

I like to start work early in the morning but Joe was almost always there before me. I loved to enter the office to be greeted by his smiling face and share a coffee before work. We would laugh at the rare occasions where I made it into the office first and he would crack a joke like “So you found the light switches”.

Joe will be sadly missed but his legacy lives on through his team, colleagues and all those people he helped. Rest in Peace.

I had the pleasure of working with Joe during his many years in Singapore, his dedication to his responsibility for emergency response was something he achieved without effort. 

He might have been seperated by thousands of miles from his family in the USA, but his family were the most important thing in his world. He was so proud to share the pictures and videos of his children and grandchildren that he recieved daily from home, with all of his work family in Singapore.

His loss was such a sudden and tragic shock to everyone who he has touched during his lifetime, please accept my deepest condolences to all his family and friends.

A great colleague and friend whose values were laudable. 

You were humble,  kind and have left a beautiful and memorable footprint. 

You will be remembered. ♥



Mr.Joe  was liked and respected by all who knew him.I am grateful to him as one of his staff in his ERT team of SBA project and mostly for the guidance and expertise he shared with us all as well for Exxon.Fondly called as ‘Chief’ by all lovingly mostly for his down to earth nature and was more like a father figure for the team. He was always vigilant and responded duty fully immediately in the project that saved many lives.Always the first to come forward in term of contribution for any occasion .He strongly practise his faith and I knew this when he mention once that he carry the Rosary at all time as he believed in the power of it for protection for all.May God grant eternal rest and peace upon Mr.Joe Zepeda.
Grace Suppiah

I had the pleasure to work with Joe in Singapore. Joe was a Sterling guy, always happy to help and always with a smile.

It is truly saddening to know that such a bright light has been extinguished in the world but, that light will continue to glow in God’s hands and in our hearts and memories.

A life that touches others, goes on forever. Rest in Peace Joe.


I had the honor of working with Chief almost continuously in Singapore from 2010 until mid 2020.   I felt very close to him, both professionally and personally.  In my 40 years with ExxonMobil he was one of the most professionally skilled persons I ever worked with... and as a person, he was truly outstanding.

I want to share a section from the last email I sent to Joe (December 13, 2020... less than 6 weeks ago) as he prepared to depart from Singapore:

"Joe.... I hope I conveyed to you before I left Singapore how much respect and admiration I have for you......it can never be said enough... you are a great example of a true professional!  I am personally so thankful for you because I know that (although you are too modest to brag about it probably) lives were saved and injuries minimized as a direct result of your outstanding skill and unquestionable dedication!   And, that dedication goes beyond professionalism... it reflects your quality as a human being!  You taught me a lot... and I thank you for that too!"

I would summarize Joe's professional legacy this way:

•	People were saved as a direct result of his skill and unwavering dedication to saving people.  

•	People will be saved in the future as a result of his passion and excellence in conveying his expertise to his team.

Rest in peace my friend….. 


I worked with Joe in Singapore (SPT Project) where he was the Emergency Response Team leader.  Joe was an outstanding resource. He fulfilled his role fully, shared his knowledge and skills to help minimize human suffering and loss. Joe was caring, loving, and exemplified good character at all times. He will be missed.

May our God of comfort and peace, grant comfort and peace to the family as we know this world is not our home. 

I had the opportunity of working in Singapore with Joe for the last ten years or so and, like many other colleagues and friends, I’m deeply saddened to hear that he has passed away.  I’ll always remember him with great affection and a  huge amount of respect, it was a true pleasure to work with him.  I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his family at this sad time.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.  

Dearest Joe’s family, a very warm hearted man with a lot of passion in his job and always willing to share n teach. Wonderful colleague, and of course also as a friend. It’s was always great to work with him as his passion will shine n guide. Known him since SPT days and yea he has been so cool tempered and easy to work with.  We pray for Joe’s family in this time of difficulty, and hope healing and peace. God blesses and protects this family. 


We were sad to hear of Joe’s passing but we know he is home with the Lord. It has been good working with him for the last 14 years on EM projects. Joe was so full of energy and he was a very responsible,  dedicated, kind, caring and cheerful person.  We will definitely missed him. He will always be remembered by all of us in Singapore. May  his soul Rest In Peace.  

Our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Joe’s family during this period of time of mourning. May all of you stay strong and stay healthy always.

I worked with Joe since SPT days and had the opportunity to work with him in 2 other projects in Singapore.  He is well known for his passion in ERT work, his generousity and a big heart for people. All of us who worked with Joe will miss him dearly.  Goodbye Joe.

Joe Z. 
Gem of a man. We will miss you brother.
There will never be another great chief And a kind man like you ever. 😢

Chief Joe Zepeda was a very well respected colleague and mentor. He was a firm and yet down to earth person who gave his best in everything that he did. I am glad that i had the chance to work with him in SPT & SBA. I will always cherish the memories. RIP 🙏🏽💐

I worked with Joe in Singapore for a number of years and he was a gem.  Kind, generous, and fun to be around.  We will miss his smiling face 

Joe Z, you have been a good friend and a great team leader for ExxonMobil ERT. May you Rest In Peace, my brother....

from Shimizu Corporation ExxonMobil Aurora project team.

OBITUARY

Jose Cantu Zepeda Jr.

February 6, 1970 – January 22, 2021

Ourso Funeral Home

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