José (Joe) Briseño, age 89, passed away in the presence of his wife Gladys, grandson Alex, and devoted dog Precious on the night of Wednesday, March 8th.

Joe was born In Whittier, CA on April 22nd, 1927, and lived in San Juan Capistrano until he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17; he served in the Philippines during World War II. Upon returning from the war, he spent many years working in the San Joaquin Valley before moving to Brentwood, CA to work as a cook – he loved to bring joy to people through his cooking.

Joe and Gladys were married and moved to Ferndale in 1968. Joe worked as a teacher’s aide and drove the school bus for Loleta Elementary School before fulfilling his dream of going to college. In 1973, he graduated with honors from Humboldt State University with a degree in Spanish Literature and Sociology. After receiving his BA, he continued to dedicate his life to enriching the lives of others and began a career with the Humboldt County Employment Development Department, assisting members of the community in securing jobs. During that time, Joe was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Redwood Acres Fair Board, and served on the Human Rights Commission and Mental Health Board.

Joe was a life-long learner, always reading and acquiring new skills in many diverse areas. He loved his animals and deeply appreciated the beauty of nature, which is reflected in his beautiful oil paintings; he was also a captivating storyteller and excellent host - nobody left Joe’s house without being presented with a delicious meal or one of his famous margaritas. Joe’s genuineness and sense of humor allowed him to make friends wherever he went – we will always remember his laugh.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, José and Lupe Briseño, brothers Tony, Charles, and Sam, sister RoseAnn, and son Jody. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Gladys, sisters Rebecca, Rachelle, Stella, and Mary, daughters Michelle, Jolene, Toni, Rebecca and Viola, and sons Joe and Homer. His grandchildren living in the Ferndale area are Joel and Alex Briseño and Sasha and Corabelle Esmailian.

At Joe’s request, no formal service will be held; however, his family will gather on his birthday to celebrate his life by sharing memories and preparing the wonderful Mexican dishes he taught them to cook.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to Hospice of Humboldt or Miranda’s Animal Rescue.

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The obituary above was submitted by Joe Briseño’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.