Joseph Cordero Mabasa

Joseph Cordero Mabasa Jr. was born in Houston, Texas on September 6, 1941. His parents, Joseph Cordero Mabasa and Rosie Morales, settled in Magnolia Park where they raised their family of ten with seven boys and three girls. He was the second oldest. On June 24, 2023, Joseph Cordero Mabasa Jr. peacefully stepped into our heavenly Kingdom where he was preceded by his parents, Susie (sister), Dorothy (sister), and Arthur (brother). He is survived by his remaining siblings Robert, Jesse, Lucinda, Johnny, Anthony, and Paul Phillip.

Joe was known for his calm demeanor, simplicity, and rich skills, as well as his genuine love for carpentry, mechanics, and leather work. Above all, he kept God first and family was his love. He carefully crafted, carved, and stitched together a family legacy that will endure for generations. His infectious smile and ability to see life through constant humor and jokes allowed him to forge friends and relationships with many. He made everyone laugh. After graduating from Pasadena High School, he created a long career for himself at the United States Postal Service where he worked for thirty seven years.

In the spring of 1959, “Doo Wop” and “Golden Oldies” flooded the radio waves during a magical age that captured the hearts of a vibrant generation. Dream Lover was a smash hit that summer and Joseph Cordero Mabasa Jr.’s heart swelled with dreams of love, joy, and hope. It was during his brotherly duties picking up his sister at Milby High School that Joe encountered the love of his life, Judith Reyna, in 1960. Judy jumped into her friend’s brother’s car as he did his best Bobby Darin impersonation. Dorothy later shared that he told her, “that little girl is going to be mine.”

Joe and Judy were married on December 2, 1962. Married for sixty years and equipped with an eternal love, they created a beautiful family that started with their two children, Joseph Cordero Mabasa III and Jo Celynn Molloy (husband, Tad Molloy). Joe and Judy are blessed with eight grandchildren, Aiden James Molloy (James Vice), Christopher Mabasa, Tiffany Short (Victor Short), Brittany Mabasa (Michael Trice), Jasmin Estrada (Rogelio Estrada), Joseph Cordero Mabasa IV (Noemi Luna), David Paul Mabasa, and Charles Molloy and 5 great grandchildren, Xander, Amarah, Evan, Adalyn, and Leonidas. Joe’s world revolved around his wife, children, and grandchildren.

He kept a vigorous life connecting and engaging with others. Together with his daughter, son,and wife, they found joy and passion volunteering their time by leading a weekly Bible Study at a community nursing home for the last twenty years. In spite of being retired, he worked at Printing-X Press for thirteen years, which allowed him to remain close to family. Beyond work and volunteering, Joe built endless memories with his family playing cards, taking annual camping trips, and vacations that sealed his eternal impact deep within their lives and their future children’s lives.

Simple, quiet strength captures the core of who he was. His observant nature allowed him to take in all the little things in life that most people dismiss or fail to notice. Whether it was stopping to pick up coins on the street, discovering ancient coins in the fields of Israel, or simply noticing the smile of his beautiful wife and children, Joe will continue to serve as the quiet strength for his family. And we know that he will “never have to dream alone.”