"No tengas miedo.  Porque tienes miedo?  Llegandose el momento no vamos a poder hacer nada.  Para que se ponen triste pensando en ese dia.  Que nos ganamos con preocuparnos? Tenemos que estar conformes como vengan las cosas. No lo vamos a poder evitar".         
                                                                               Jose Torres, Sr.    
   
     


                           
                                                                               "No te pares al lado de mi tumba a llorar 
                                                                                         No estoy ahí, yo no duermo. 
                                                                                         Soy mil vientos que soplan, 
                                                                               Soy el destello del diamante sobre nieve. 
                                                                            Soy el sol que brilla sobre el grano maduro, 
                                                                                         soy la suave lluvia de otoño. 
                                                                          Cuando despiertes en la quietud de la mañana, 
                                                                                        soy la exaltante prisa elevada 
                                                                                     de pajaritos en un vuelo circular. 
                                                                         Soy las estrellas suaves que brillan en la noche. 
                                                                              No te pares al lado de mi tumba y llores, 
                                                                                       no estoy ayi...pues no mori."          

This memorial website was created in the memory of our beloved father, Jose Torres, Sr. whom was born in Zacatecas, Mexico on May 12, 1942 and passed away suddenly on July 19, 2007 at the age of 65. We will remember, love, miss and honor him every single day for the rest of our lives. He was truly an amazing human being, loving husband, devoted father, doting grandfather and friend to all.  Whomever knew my dad will tell you he was a diamond in the rough.  He lifted the spirits of those experiencing any hardship with his positive outlook and his jovial disposition.  His spirit soars high above with the angels and within our hearts, for in our hearts he will always live. 

My father, Jose, touched many lives in his 65 years. The second youngest of eight siblings, he was born in a small "ranchito" in Huiscolco, Zacatecas, Mexico. My father lived a very difficult and humble life starting at the age of 6 when his father passed away. As one of eight children living on a ranch, they each had their chores, my father tended to livestock among others.

As a young man in Mexico father loved everything that had to do with ranch life, especially horses and horse races and nothing to do with ranch life, but with a sport that he was very passionate about: baseball. He was a member of a Mexican baseball team from 1960-1962, where he played the position of shortstop.  He also loved Mariachi music. 

Father immigrated to the states in 1963 at the age of 21 and made his home in Chicago, Illinois.  He worked in the meat packing industry located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

During a trip to Mexico in 1970, he met a beautiful young lady named Yolanda from the same town my dad was from and their courtship began.  My mother shared with me that when she asked my dad what his aspirations in life were, he responded, "To have a family and work hard to provide for them".   They were married in Zacatecas, Mexico in April 1971 and shortly thereafter father returned to the states accompanied by his beautiful bride. Their first of six children (me), Maria, was born in August 1972. Eleven months later came the twins, German and Noel. Six years would go by before Sandra was born, followed by Jose, Jr. and Eduardo. My mother mentioned to me that his greatest joys in life were when his children were born.

My father continued to work extremely hard in the meat packing industry until 1984.  Due to a workers strike and an uncertain future, he contemplated a business venture. And so it came to be, he opened his very own business that same year. The business was very successful and we had a great 12-year run.  My dad being the people person he was was in his element--he absolutely enjoyed interacting with our customers and treated them as family.  Unfortunately, due to declining sales over a 2-year period, my parents made the very difficult decision to close the business.  

The post business era began with my father unable to find work.  He was very happy that a particular construction company offered him a job.  He went to work with a smile on his face and arrived home the same way, with hugs and kisses for everyone.  He truly was happy working, and working hard at that.  God bless my Dad's heart, he was 65 years old and in construction, no easy feat.  Yet he was strong, a healthy 65 year old with no ailments, and to retire January of 2008.  But the most difficult, saddest day in our lives was to come and our lives would never be the same again.

I received a call from my sister at 2:45 pm EST informing me that our Dad had been in a terrible accident.  I immediately left work, arrived home,  quickly packed and was driven to the airport.  Before departing on the 5:15 pm flight, my brother called and broke heartwrenching news that our father had passed.  I will never forget his cries and the shock and surreal nature of it.  I hoped and prayed during the 2.5 hour flight for this to not be reality; for Dad to be alive and for his injuries to not be life threatening.  I did feel Dad was alive.  I quickly rushed to the hospital, but it was true, our beautiful Dad, our angel, had parted.  Never have I experienced pain like this, unimaginable excruciating pain of having lost my precious Dad. 

My father was severely injured while on the job as a result of injuries sustained from the crushing impact of the bucket of a front end loader.  My Dad passed away two hours later at the hospital from his injuries.   We did not even get to say good-bye.  I never imagined that I would lose my Dad, not now, not like this.  He was nearing retirement and was so healthy, I was supposed to have my Dad for 30 or more years.  How could he be torn away from us like this in such a tragic manner at the hands of an operator of one of the largest, heaviest pieces of construction equipment?  For a man that lived so peacefully, so lovingly and so righteously, so contrary were the circumstances that surrounded his last moment on this earth.  

It is difficult to accept the loss of a loved one who succumbs to an illness.  Yet one can find comfort in the belief the person is finally at rest, at peace with God and no longer suffering.  Much time would have been spent with the loved one, lots of photographs taken and video recordings.  The unexpected, sudden loss of my father has shaken me to the core.  He was healthy, strong and so full of life. He would express to us on a regular basis how he felt like a 20-year old with laughter to follow, and the most admirable aspect of it was that he meant it.  To think of him as gone is difficult to grasp. No good-byes were spoken, no last words, no extra pictures or video recordings of him,  or the opportunity to express to my dad all that he represented and meant to me. 

I am holding on for dear life to the memories, to those captured on photographs and video recordings and those not.  I search and search and search for everything and anything that ever captured Dad's image.  I wish I had more footage of him, so I can see him when I'm feeling sad; because to see him as he was breathes life into me, inspires me to try to be more like him with each passing day and gives me the courage to face a new day.  His baseball hats, his flannel shirts, his cowboy hats...the clothes he wore the day prior...they all tell a story...We try so desparately to find comfort in everything that reminds us of him.  We hold him close to our hearts and will never part. We miss Dad, every minute of every hour of every day.

One of the last conversations we had and one that I will always remember is when my father told me, "Don't worry.  Don't worry about a thing.  Don't let anything affect you.  Just remember that no matter how troublesome something may seem, it will always resolve itself in the end.  There is not one thing that will remain unresolved."  His steadfast resolve enabled him to focus his energy on those issues that in the grand scheme of things really mattered.    

Family unity was one of father's priorities.  He was happiest when surrounded by his family, which included his other loves, his grandchildren.  Dad would come home after a hard day's work and as he was having dinner, his grandchildren would come over to him .  Just like his grandchildren expected, he would sit them on his lap.  My mom would tell him 'this is the first quiet moment to yourself...tell the kids to leave you alone so you can eat in peace'.  My dad was happy to have his grandchildren near and he never missed an opportunity to spend time with them.  

Hosting a barbecue, which he loved to do, was always a big event and an opportunity to gather the family.  The arrachera (skirt steak) was one of his specialties.  And the party was never over, the best was yet to come.  His gift of storytelling was one of pure enjoyment.  You were left hanging on every word, in anticipation of what was to follow--completely submersed in his stories. 

Father was multi-talented and a man of many trades. He did it all, you name it, his repertoire included: electrical wiring/installation, plumbing, carpentry, construction, roofing, mechanics.  He even taught himself the painstaking process of tuckpointing, definitely not for the faint of heart. I always admired my dad for the dedication and effort he put forth in his projects. I was forever amazed at the scope of the projects he undertook and at the end result.  I truly felt he was blessed with superhuman strength.  To him, there was not a project too great or out of his reach.  How could a man singlehandedly replace a 2nd story bay window and the deteriorting brick around it , by transporting a large quantity of brick and stone up to the 2nd floor?  I don't know what method was used to lift the material, but I know it was nothing remotely close to state of the art-- he may have very well carried them.  Whatever the method used, he did it all on his own and that makes it all that much more impressive.  He never bragged about his completed projects; instead, we asked questions.  Today, we drive past his completed projects and can practically envision him in action, surrounded by all his equipment and his little red Toyota pick-up truck, which he called his "toyotita".  Dad was happiest after a long, hard days work.  He would approach the house in his "toyotita" with a smile on his face and in the best, most jovial mood in the world.  Never tired, never complained, he exuded and projected 100% happiness every single minute of every day.  God, I miss dad so much.  

Father was the No. 1 baseball fan. He loved his White Sox and Cubs. Thank goodness he got to experience the White Sox 2005 Championship. I love baseball because he loved it.

Other than the Spanish language (his first lanuage), he was fluent in the English language and spoke Polish well enough to communicate with our Polish clientele during the days our family owned our business.  

My parents had a marriage made in heaven.  It had been 12 years since they had last argued.  My father referred to my mother as 'his reina' (his queen).  They were inseparable.  They attended church every Sunday and brought us up this way.  My father being the man of faith that he was, attended church every Sunday without fail even when mom was away.

Father was a pillar of strength we leaned on. He was the voice of reason and calm when we could not see past the storm. His outpouring of love, devotion, hard work and perseverance knew no bounds. He could do it all; there was not a mountain he could not climb and nothing he would not do for us.

The heavens must have opened and the angels must have sang when he was born for he was to live the rest of his life extending his helping hand to others and nurturing the lives of his family with his unwavering kindess, unconditional love, and just as he had promised my mom long ago--his never-ending hard work and devotion.   Dad gave 100% of himself every single day and did not expect anything in return.  He was happy giving. We were indeed privileged to have had such a wonderful father and to have been witness to his exemplary life.

Dad was taken away from us suddenly and without warning.  All we can do is comfort ourselves with the knowledge that he lived a full, happy life, and was dearly loved by all who knew him.  We cling to the happy memories he left us to find meaning in our tomorrows. 

Just like the sunrise in the morning and the moon at night, he illuminated our lives at every waking moment and night. WE LOVE YOU DAD. WE MISS YOU SO MUCH.

Daddy 

It was the specialness in his smile….
in his voice,
in his laughter,
in his eyes,
that brought a smile to our faces...
and life was joyous and beautiful
because we had Dad

                                                           Love you dad xoxoxo, Maria Iris

Taken Home 19th July 2007

It's your 1st Angelversary

Te queremos muchisimo tambien a ti papa.  Tu para nosotros eres el sol, el cielo, las estrellas, el aire que respiramos. Jamas te olvidaremos, padre. Jamas. 

There's a special Angel in Heaven
that is a part of me.
It is not where I wanted him
but where God wanted him to be.
He was here but just a moment
like a night time shooting star.
And though he is in Heaven
he isn't very far.
He touched the heart of many
like only an Angel can do.
I would've held him every minute
if the end I only knew.
So I send this special message
to Heaven up above:
Please take care of our dad Jose 
and send him all our love.

 Querido Padre, si pudieramos tener
cualquier deseo en esta vida
Un sueño que se convirtiera en realidad,
Le rezariamos a Dios con todo nuestro corazon
por ayer y por ti.

Mil palabras no te pueden regresar
Lo sabemos porque ya tratamos..
Ni tampoco con mil lagrimas
Lo sabemos porque hemos llorado..
Si solo Amor te hubiera salvado
nunca hubieras fallecido.

En vida te quizimos tanto
en muerte te queremos aun.
Nos dejaste con el corazon destrozado
Y buenos recuerdos tambien...
Pero no queriamos recuerdos
Solo te queriamos a ti. 

Dad

Treasured memories of you we hold in our hearts
Though absent you are always near
A million words could not express
Our love, our sorrow, our emptiness

The parting was so sudden
We always wonder why
But the hardest part of all
We never said goodbye 

A heart of gold stopped beating
A smiling face at rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best

Take him in your arms dear Lord
Look after him with care
Make up for all he suffered
And all that was unfair

Flowers to your grave we take
and place each one with care
But time still has to heal the heartache
as we turn and leave you there 

A bouquet of beautiful memories
sprayed with a million tears
We wish that God could have spared
you if just for a few more years

Deep in our hearts your memory is kept
We loved you too dearly to ever forget
You shared our lives, our smiles, our tears
Thank you Dad for those lovely years 

In our hearts you will live forever
Today, tomorrow, our whole lives through
We will always love, honor and remember you

Dad

All I need is you Dad

Dear Father,
your essence was like a gentle breeze
and a ray of sunshine in the morning
that brought us happiness and gave us
a reason to embrace a new day.

Your pure heart, your optimistic outlook and passion for life

defined the meaning of life for us and gave us hope

for a better tomorrow because you were in it.

Sharing your history with me and all the trials and tribulations

that you overcame gave me a window into your past

 and the experiences that formed the great man that you were.

But above all, having you as our Father and your unconditional love

for us was the most beautiful gift God granted us in this life.

My heart aches because you are not here,
because I can no longer ask you
for your opinion and hear your response,
or receive your invaluable advice;
because it does matter how old I am,
I will always need you and I will forever miss you
and all that was still ahead of us.

Dad, your energy was so strong
and it continues to be....
I feel your presence and I am not alone.

Father, your life was priceless. Nothing in this world can replace your honorable life.

Love you immensely and profoundly miss you Dad, Maria Iris

Papa, Padre, Grandpa Jose