Jose Assis Luis' Obituary
Jose Assis Luis, 86 years of age passed away on July 26th at his home with family by his side. His legacy and stories of his life will forever live in our hearts. He was born on Oct. 4th, 1936 in Fuseta, Portugal to his father Jose and mother Zezinha. Ze, Joe, Assis, depending on where he was, the name may have changed but the man he was never wavered. A few years of grade school and off to work he went. He lost his father at a young age and with a mother and two sister to take care of, he grew up fast.
At 9 he would meet the fishing boats when they came in from a trip and help in anyway he could, leading to payment in a fresh catch that he could take back to his family. By 12 he was already heading to sea and earning a wage to contribute to the household income. At 16 he was off to his first long journey, a trip that would take him to Angola, Africa with his Aunt and Uncle. The search for a more prosperous future was a difficult one but he never quit because he knew his success meant he could provide for his family back in Fuseta.
A few years and a military service later he married his wife Maria do Carmo in 1963. Together they had two children Jose and Elsa, later to be blessed with 3 grandchildren, Jake, Tyler and Kelsa.
His live journey took him to 3 continents. Although many challenges occurred along the way, his perseverance and never give up attitude led him to always provide for his family and leave a legacy behind.
His whole life he only knew how to give, he was not one to ask for help but he was always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need. Through his hard work and dedication to his craft he was able to purchase a fishing boat in Luanda, Angola where he settled with his wife and had a family.
He was known to have the best, freshest, well take care of fish and when the buyers knew he was coming in from a trip, his catches demanded the best price at the market.
His love of sport, soccer, sportfishing, swimming led him to befriend many people from Pilots, Doctors, Lawyers and professional athletes. He played soccer since a young child, often hiding it from his mother, she would say you are wasting your time, you need to be working not playing. He played on the defensive end of the field, no surprise there, he was a protector, shielding anyone he could from harm or danger.
The move from Angola was an arduous one, the country was going through a change in government and war was breaking out. He found a way to send his family back to Portugal and later piloted a fleet of boats, from Luanda to Lisbon. No sooner then when he docked, he was off to America, with one of his sisters there and hope of a prosperous future it was time to move one and his family followed two years later. He settled in with the help of the Portuguese community and his hard work ethic which kept him employed for many years in the Tuna fishing fleet.
He retired from fishing after two accidents at sea, one of which almost took his live. After retirement he found himself taking care of the household. His wife took a job to help keep things going and his soon started a family of his own, so grandpa stepped in as a caregiver for his first grandson. As a fisherman it’s difficult to be there for all of your children’s firsts, like first day of school, soccer games or graduations. But as a grandfather, that all changes and so it began changing diapers, first steps, school and graduations. After the grandchildren were all grown up he kept an eye on the block, the neighborhood watchman. He would open the garage door, most likely trying to fix something in ill repair all the while watching what was happening on the street and saying hello to the neighbors as they walked on by. He later would sit on a worn out Lazyboy in the garage and do the same thing. He kept dog treats with him and every dog that passed by knew it was time to stop and get a treat. This lead to many conversations to all the people that walked by. When the fruit trees were producing fruit, he would offer some to the neighbors as they walked by. He loved his garage time watching the world go by. He was a passionate man who loved his wife, family and friends. He will be missed by us all, but his stories will live on. Jose is remembered by his wife Maria do Carmo, his son Joe and his sisters Zulmira and Merces along with three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father Jose, mother Zezinha and his loving daughter Elsa.
What’s your fondest memory of Jose?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jose?
Share a story where Jose's kindness touched your heart.
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