Jose Luis Corral

JOSE LUIS CORRAL WAS BORN ON MAY 7, 1973, IN CULIACAN, SINALOA. IN 1991, HE MADE THE COURAGEOUS DESISION TO COME TO AMERICA, CHASING THE DREAM OF A BETTER FUTURE - AND MAYBE EVEN A "GABACHA" AS HE WOULD JOKINGLY SAY. FATEHAD ITS WAY OF BRINGING HIM LOVE INTOHIS LIFE WHEN, IN 1994, HE AND HIS COUSIN WENT TO A NIGHT CLUB, WHERE HE FIRST LAID EYES ON THE WOMAN WHO WOULD BECOME HIS WIFE. MY MOTHER WAS A WAITRESS THERE, AND FROM THE MOMENT HE SAW HER, HE KNEW SHE WAS THE ONE. DETERMINED TO WIN HER HEART, HE RETURNED TO THE CLUB EVERY SINGLE DAY, SHOWERING HER WITH GIFTS, PERSISTENCE, AND LOVE SO PURE THA SHE EVENTUALLY FELL JUST AS HARD FOR HIM. A YEAR LATER, THEY WERE MARRIED, AND SOON AFTER, THEY WELCOMED MY OLDER BROTHER, JOSE LUIS JR. THEN, IN 2001, I WAS BORN-HIS ONLY AND FAVORITE DAUGHTER. MY FATHER WAS THE DEFINITION OF DEDICATION, WORKINGTIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE FOR US AND ENSURETHAT WE NEVERWENT WITHOUT. HE POURED HIS HEART INTO EVERYTHING HE DID, WHETHER IT WAS HIS WORK, HIS MARRIAGE, OR BEING A FATHER. HE WAS HONORABLE, HARDWORKING, AND SELFLESS, ALWAYS PUTTING HIS FAMILYABOVE EVERYTHING, EVEN HIMSELF. STUBBORN AS HE WAS, THAT SAME DETERMINATION MADE HIM THE STRONG, LOVING MAN WE ALL ADORED. JOSE LUIS HAD A WAY OF MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH WITH HIS QUICK WIT AND SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR. HE WAS THE KIND OF MAN WHO NEVER MET A STRANGER- ONLY A FRIEND HE HADN'T YET SPOKEN TO. HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC, DANCING, AND STORYTELLING FILLEDOUR HOME WITH WARMTH, AND HIS PRESENCE WAS LARGER THAN LIFE. HIS LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE LESSONS HE TAUGHT US: TO LOVE FIERCELY, TO WORK HARD, AND TO NEVER TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY. WHILEHIS PHYSICAL PRESENCE MAY BE GONE, THE LOVE HE GAVE US WILL LIVE ON IN THE STORIES WE TELL, LAUGHTER WE SHARE, AND THE LOVE THAT BINDS OUR FAMILI TOGETHER.