Jose was born in Jalisco, Mexico to Jose Natividad and Rosario Orozco on June 5, 1924. He was one of eight children and the last surviving one. He married Mary (Contreras) on February 14, 1945. He and Mary lived in Isleton, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Antioch, Modesto, Ventura, Coarsegold and finally back to Modesto.
They raised four children in Pittsburg and Brentwood: Joe F., Alice M. Castaneda, Lydia “Suzi” Nicholson and Elizabeth Orozco-Wittke.
Jose worked at U.S. Steel for many years. He later worked at Western Canners which was purchased by Tillie Lewis Foods and then Ogden Food Corporation. He was transferred to various cities because of his work and retired in 1986 from Ogden Food Corporations where his last position was plant manager of their plant in Baja California.
He was politically active for many years with MAPA and campaigned for various candidates in Contra Costa County. He attended with his wife Mary and his great friends former Congressman Jerome and Jill Waldie, Governor Edmund (Pat) Brown’s Inaugural Ball in 1959.
Jose was a member of the Knights of Columbus throughout his adult life and was Grand Knight of the Antioch Order. He was a Fourth Degree Knight and lastly a member of the Our Lady of Fatima Knights of Columbus in Modesto.
He loved to fish and at one time renovated a 20 foot cabin cruiser that he kept docked first in West Pittsburg and later in Bethel Island.
Jose was a reserve Police Officer with the Brentwood Police Department from 1967 thru 1972. Law enforcement was something dear to Jose.
Jose and Mary enjoyed traveling and had been various times to Europe (Spain, France, England, Portugal, Germany, Italy, etc.), Hawaii and road trips in the western and middle states of the U.S.A. as well as in Mexico.
He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Mary, and their children Joe, Alice and Elizabeth and son-in-law Max Nicholson. He was preceded in death by his daughter Lydia (Suzi), his parents and siblings. He is survived by eight grandchildren: Joe Orozco, Tom Orozco, Anjanette Alvarado, Katherine Ramirez, Autumn White, Alexandra (Alix) Gantt and Joey (JJ) Wittke. He is also survived by fifteen great grandchildren, the youngest being born on March 9, 2020, as well as sisters and brothers in law: Hermelinda Rasey, Ernestine Trinidad, Fred Contreras and Victor Contreras and many relatives in the USA, Mexico and Europe.
Jose was loved by his family and friends. He was a wonderful, caring and kind man who will be greatly missed.
A private interment will be held for his immediate family. A Memorial Mass will be held for family and friends at a later date.
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