Joe L. Diaz "Big Cat"

JOE L. DIAZ "BIG CAT" Funeral Mass for Dolores resident Joe L. Diaz will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 22 at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Mortuary Chapel. Interment will follow at Crestlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Riverside, Calif. Father Rudy Gil will officiate. A visitation has been scheduled for Wednesday evening from 4 to 8 p.m. at the mortuary with a Rosary service starting at 7 p.m. Joe was born on March 19, 1931 in Chino, Calif. the son of Esteban and Maria (Moreno) Diaz. He passed away on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at Vista Grande Inn at the age of 77. Joe was born and raised in Chino, Calif. and spent the last four years in Dolores, Colo. As a young man he worked at the dairies and loved training horses. He worked for San Bernardino County for 25 years and retired in 1977. Later, he and his wife, Elena owned a restaurant "Tropical Mexico" in Pomona, Calif. for 15 years. Joe will be best remembered for his carefree personality. He was very friendly and liked talking to people. He had a great sense of humor and had many friends. Joe always made people feel at home. He will be dearly missed. Surviving Joe are his wife of 36 years, Elena Diaz; and his children, Joe L. Diaz Jr., Laurie Conrad, Michelle Diaz, Susie Mendoza, Debra Wilson, Martha Winslow, and Louis Diaz. He also leaves behind 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Tony Diaz, Eloise Henderson, Maryann Carmona, Connie Moore, Mary Helen Schlesinger and Teresa Brown. Joe was preceded in death by his parents.