When you read his obituary, what you think is was he a real person? It reads like a fictional character in a book, from migrant farmer to nuclear weapons tech in the Air Force, from father to olympic torch bearer, from neighborhood volunteer to reciting the pledge of allegiance for a US President, from driving HS students to field trips to being inducted into the SB Hall of Fame, from opening a small business to help run the bilingual department in our schools, from going door to door to register voters to getting a Sagamore of the Wabash award from the Governor... he did it all.
When you read his obituary, what you think is wow, what a life! Big family, big dreams, big impact in the community. His family has spread all over the country, he is well respected, he lived a long life, saw a lot, and he will rest in peace and power.
When you read his obituary, what you won't see the details of the type of mentor he was, the advice he gave, the great coffee conversations at Bill's, the way he hustled for his family, his strong voice on community issues, and his passion for voter registration. You also won't see how much he loved his culture, and how much that guy loved mariachi...
When you read his obituary, what you won't see is all the little things he did. Like when he came and edged the lawn at La Casa, or painted the curb blue for the handicap spot, or stop at the office to give a $20 donation for a fundraiser we had going on. You won't see that even when doctors told him not to, he did it, cause he had an internal obligation to do it.
When you read his obituary, what you won't see was the type of friend he was... and that's what I will miss the most. His calls to check, him swinging by the office to say hello, his dedication to doing the right thing, and supporting the things that matter to him, those things I will miss, they reminded me to work harder, be better, and follow a plan to achieve a goal.
Thank you Greg, your friendship meant the world to me, and so many. Que dios te bendiga.
Read his Obituary here: SJFH
Read past blogs about Greg: Hall of Fame Chavez (11/17/14), LULAC Trip (7/15/2016), And We Marched (10/8/13)
A few of my favorite memories of Greg below. Click to enlarge.
