MR. JOE R. DIAZ, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND, PEACEFULLY PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 27, 2021, SURROUNDED BY THE WARMTH AND LOVE OF HIS FAMILY IN THE COMFORT OF HIS HOME. HE WAS BORN IN SAN ANTONIO,TEXAS ON AUGUST 11, 1933.

JOE, WITH GREAT PRIDE, HONORABLY SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND WAS A COMBAT VETERAN OF THE KOREAN WAR. SHORTLY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM OVERSEAS, HE BEGAN HIS TENURE AS A LOYAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL SERVANT FOR 40 YEARS. HE STARTED OUT AS A MASTER MACHINIST AND TOOL AND DIE MAKER AT KELLY AIR FORCE BASE. HE LATER BECAME A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND FINALLY, HE RETURNED TO KELLY AIR FORCE BASE WHERE HE WAS A SECTION CHIEF, GS-12, IN CHARGE OF OVER 1,200 PERSONNEL WITHIN THE AIR FORCE LOGISTICS COMMAND. HE RETIRED FROM GOVERNMENT SERVICE IN 1989. JOE WAS ALSO A PROUD LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE VFW (VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS) POST 8936.

JOE WAS ALSO A TRUE ENTREPRENEUR AND OWNED NUMEROUS BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT HIS LIFETIME. HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WAS HIS ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING AND TAX PREPARATION BUSINESS, DIAZ ACCOUNTING SERVICE, SERVING SAN ANTONIO SINCE 1957 AND IS STILL IN OPERATION TO DATE, JUST AS HE WANTED.

HE WAS AN AVID AND EXTREMELY TALENTED POOL PLAYER WHO PLAYED ON A LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL AND WON NUMEROUS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 8-BALL TEAM BILLIARDS AS WELL AS 8-BALL AND 9-BALL SINGLES BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIPS. FROM 1997 TO 2000 JOE WAS THE FOUR-YEAR REIGNING FIRST PLACE 8-BALL BILLIARDS CHAMPION OF THE SAN ANTONIO SENIOR OLYMPICS.

HE WAS A LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, MENTOR AND GREAT FRIEND. GOD BLESSED US ALL WITH THE GIFT OF JOE'S LIFE AND THE MARK HE MADE IN HIS LIFETIME WILL ECHO IN ETERNITY.

JOE IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS FATHER, EMILIO DIAZ, MOTHER, EVA R. DIAZ, BROTHER, RUFINO DIAZ (RITA), SISTER, ISABEL D. VALDEZ (LUIS) AND SISTER, JOSEFA D. CARMONA (RUDY).

JOE IS ETERNALLY LOVED AND WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY HIS DEVOTED AND LOYAL WIFE OF 52 YEARS, SOILA L. DIAZ. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY HIS YOUNGER BROTHER JUAN R. DIAZ (DELORIS). HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY HIS LOVING SONS, JOE P. DIAZ JR. (FERNANDA), JERRY E. DIAZ (CYNTHIA), CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH DIAZ (STEPHANIE), DAUGHTERS, JOANNE P. SANCHEZ (MARCO), OLGA A. HERRERA (HECTOR) AND SARAH E. DIAZ ALONG WITH HIS LOVING STEP-SON, VICTOR M. ESPARZA JR. AND HIS LOVING STEP-DAUGHTERS GRETA M. GARCIA, BELINDA M. ESPARZA AND EVA M. ESPARZA AND ALL OF HIS NUMEROUS GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT-GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND BELOVED NIECES AND NEPHEWS.

JOE WAS THE EPITAMY OF THE STRONG AND SILENT TYPE. HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP, BUT NEVER BURDENED ANYONE WITH ANY OF HIS CONCERNS, HE WAS A MASTER PROBLEM SOLVER. HIS COMEDIC SIDE AND FAMOUS ONELINERS BROUGHT LAUGHTER AND SMILIES TO MANY FACES. HE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN TAKING CARE OF LIFES MATTERS TODAY RATHER THAN TOMORROW.

HE WAS OUR GLUE; HE WAS OUR ROCK AND WILL FOREVER REMAIN IN OUR HEART. HE TRULY IS "THE BEST THERE IS, BAR-NONE!"