Jose Aguilar Obituary, Death – On August 9, 2022, Jose Aguilar died away peacefully in the Legacy Mount Hood Hospital in Gresham, Oregon. Jose was born on October 24, 1931, in the Philippines. He was affectionately referred to as Papa Joe by colleagues and coworkers and was known as Joe or Cora by family members. He is approximately 91 years old and has lived through and witnessed a world war. One of his favorite childhood tales involved him bringing food to the family because the Japanese soldiers were stealing all the food they could, and when they saw him carrying the food, they chased after him and began shooting at him. He then fled into a bamboo forest to hide from the soldiers’ bullets.
Jose traveled extensively and had a varied career that included working as a car factory worker as a young child, in construction, as an oil rig foreman, as a cook, and years spent working in the Middle East. Jose had many friends that adored him. Another tale he enjoyed sharing was about how, while working on oil rig barges, crew members would feast on fresh lobsters, fish, and shrimp that they had captured at the bottom of the barge and cooked in steel drums. When he told this tale, you could see the envy in people’s eyes because eating “freshly” caught seafood is uncommon.
Jose has had a life that is incredibly rich. He had a strong relationship with God and a strong faith. He led a life committed to our Lord and went to daily mass. He was a wonderful father to his boys Gwinn and Gerard as well as a loving and loyal husband to his wife Cleotilde for 56 years. When the family would come to the house to visit, Jose loved to cook. Kyle and Kevin, his grandkids, brought him so much happiness. His first great granddaughter Kayla made him incredibly happy, and he adored spending time with her. Jose enjoyed watching sports and was an excellent bowler. He always looked forward to going to the store to buy Lotto tickets.
He loved going to his favorite barber shop and the foot spa on a regular basis. He relished life’s little pleasures. Papa Joe, you will be missed. Take care of yourself as you travel. Jose’s funeral service will take place at the Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, 520 West Powell Boulevard, Gresham, OR 97030, on Friday, September 9, 2022 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can leave the AGUILAR family condolences and happy memories at www.batemancarrollfunerals.com.
