Jojo Mends

Yokojo Sam Mends, known to all as Jojo, 62, of San Leandro California died August 14, 2011 at Eden Medical Center.

Jojo was born on November 22, 1949 in Cape Coast Ghana, the son of Obo Mends and Charlotte Phillips. He was an only child. He spent his younger years living with his grandmother in Cape Coast and enjoyed visiting with his Uncles and Aunts and playing with a host of cousins and friends. Soccer was not just a past time for Jojo, it was his passion. If you saw Jojo, you saw his soccer ball as well.

After graduating from high school, Jojo moved to Denmark in December 1971 and earned his bachelorʼs degree in Agricultural Science in 1974 from Nordisk Landbo Skole. He then moved to London until 1982 when he ventured to the United States and earned a Bachelorʼs Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986.

He worked at the University of California Berkeley in various roles since 1983 and has spent the last 11 years in the Transportation Department.

Jojoʼs greatest passion was teaching driverʼs education. He owned a driving instruction business for 10 years primarily training high school students. His greatest joy was knowing that he taught family friends as well as many of his daughtersʼ friends from St. Theresa Elementary School and Bishop OʼDowd High School.

Jojo also worked intensively as a member of the union, in AFSCME Local 3299. He served as shop steward for a number of years, and fought diligently in support of the rights of employees and the rights of students, making extensive use of the spoken and written word to bring issues to the public eye.

Finally, Jojo spent his free time helping people in any way he could - whether it was picking up college applications for his driving students, giving food and clothing or even small change to the homeless found around campus, or dropping off a plant or a bottle of wine to someone who appeared to be in need of a simple act of kindness.

Constantly “talking to God and making Him laugh,” lecturing everyone who crossed his path on the importance of justice, fairness, service and humility and spending time with friends, Jojo was greatly loved by all those he interacted with, and we feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of his life.

Arrangements under the direction of Guerrero Mortuary Chapel, San Leandro, CA.