"But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you
Singing, someday it'll bring me back to you, find a way to bring myself back home to you
That may be all I need
In darkness, he is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning, and I never want to leave" -Sunday Morning, Maroon
Jose A. (Joey) Cordero Jr., a cherished husband, father, grandfather, fur-dad, cousin, and friend known for his kind, loving, caring, and humorous personality, left us on February 21, 2025. Born on February 17, 1975, Joe lived a life filled with tremendous passion and service towards others.
Joey is survived by his loving wife, Katherine LaMonica, his son Daniel Cordero and wife Reina, along with his five grandchildren: Noah, D.J., Silas, CeCe, and Judah, his daughter Aysha Morales, his beloved fur-babies Nala and Persephone, along with many cousins and friends whose lives were greatly enriched by Joey's presence. His departure leaves an unfillable void in our lives, yet we find comfort in the memories and everlasting love he shared.
Joey also asked to especially acknowledge son-in-law Bryce Lepak, step son/wife: Marco and Amy Casarano, (cousins) Karina Planas & family, Jose "Kook" Dishmey, Jerry Montalvo, Joel Juarbe & Family, Sam Jr., Orlando and Noel, (Uncles) Angel and Sam, the entire Burgos family, (friends) Ronald Singleton, Ariel and Madeline Torres, the entire BDT crew, and the Smith family.
Joey was a shining example of how to think of others, a value that was central to his character. His life was marked by his selflessness, empathy, and capacity to bring joy to those around him.
One of Joe's most commendable accomplishments was his artist's soul. Music, drawings, poetry, and legendary stories were his language, his solace, and his method of connecting with the world. Joe's prowess was notable, and it became his enduring legacy, bested only by his everlasting faith in God. The soulful melody he brought into this world, combined with his love of sharing The Word continues to reverberate even as he is no longer with us.
A beacon of kindness and love, will forever reside in our hearts. His legacy, exemplified by his faith and compassion, will continue to inspire and guide us. As we grapple with the loss of his physical presence, we find solace in knowing that Joe's spirit lives on through the grace and love he instilled in us.
Compassion, in its purest essence, is a healer beyond measure. Love—true love—is not a sculptor, chiseling away at another’s edges to fit an ideal. No, love is the gentle sunbeam that warms a frozen river until it flows of its own accord, shaping its path as it will.
To love another is not to demand metamorphosis but to offer a space so sacred, so untainted by judgment, that transformation becomes inevitable. Not a conversion to some imposed image but a blossoming into the highest expression of one’s soul. This is the magic of love: it liberates rather than confines, elevates rather than possesses.
Imagine the sheer miracle of being held in a gaze that does not seek to alter you…