Jose Martirez Laut's Obituary
“Idle hands are the devil’s tools.” That is what Jose Martirez Laut believed about life. Joe, as he was better known, enjoyed fixing and embellishing the house, cars, clothes and loved to discuss current events with his family and friends. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Joe thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. His parents were Miguel and Juana Laut. Jose was raised in Bato, Camarines Sur, Philippines. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Jose could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability. He worked hard his whole life and was an independent person from a very young age. He had one older sister, Lilia, and two younger sisters, Eugenia, and Nancy; half brothers and half sisters are Merly, Olga, Evelyn, Judy, Pedrito, Dolores, Paolina, Consuelo, Domingo, and Francisco. Joe was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. He was always interested in his friends’ activities and interests. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Joe to be very stimulating company. Joe’s humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. On April 23, 1961 Joe exchanged wedding vows with Leonida Rondael Palconit at St. Peter Catholic Church of Basilan City, Philippines. Jose was an entertaining conversationalist. He was a vibrant personality and he enjoyed verbally sparring with Leonida. In fact, those who knew him often remarked that Joe loved to argue for argument’s sake. Joe’s remarkable talent for being inventive influenced his relationship with his children. Joe was blessed with four children, three daughters, Grace, Catherine, and Shelly and one son, Joe. He was also very proud of his two grandchildren, Jeremy and Matthew. Someone who was quick to laugh, Joe found it easy to give advice and make others laugh, but he was never overbearing or guilty of pushing himself on them. He was a very good provider for the family. Joe was focused and a hard worker. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Joe was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. His primary occupation was a storekeeper in the United States Navy. He was employed for 20 years by the U. S. Navy and worked an additional 20 years for the Federal Government as a civil servant. Joe was a Navy veteran. He was stationed in various places such as Virginia, Naples Italy, Diego Garcia, the Philippines, and then San Diego. Joe was in the military during in the Vietnam War. Joe’s passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Joe was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Joe simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits were cars, politics, dancing, and music. Joe’s talents were well suited for being actively involved in community organizations, something he did throughout his life. He enjoyed being involved and was willing to jump in and help out in most any situation. Joe could bring a breath of fresh air to any organization, simply by introducing his novel ideas and problem solving strategies. Throughout his years, Joe was a member of the Bicol Club, D’Bikolanos, Batoenos, South Bay Filipino-American Association, and the Heritage Club. Joe was continually concerned with the status of local, national and even world affairs. His keen interest and strong values led him to become active in his community. Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Joe. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for him to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Joe traveled and lived in various places, such as the East Coast, Europe, the Philippines, Diego Garcia, and the Caribbean. Even while in retirement, Joe never stopped exercising his inventive talents, and this new phase of his life provided new opportunities for stimulating his interests. He retired in 1975 from the U. S. Navy, and in 1995 from the Federal Government, his new life involved relocating to San Diego. In retirement, he found new pleasure in tinkering with cars and the house, being a “jack of all trades”, fishing and going to the casino on occasion. Even in retirement, Joe continued to stay in touch with his old friends. He was an active member in the community. Joe passed away on January 1, 2010 at home in San Diego, California. Joe died of natural causes. He leaves behind his wife Leonida, children Grace, Shelly and Joe, and son-in-law Gerry Borja, and grandchildren Jeremy and Matthew. Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Charles Catholic Church. Joe was laid to rest in Greenwood Memorial Park, in San Diego, California. During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Joe. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Joe was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Joe, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Jose Martirez Laut, the fun of living his life could be found in occupying his time with laughter, discussions, tinkering around the house, and philosophizing. “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach him how to fish; and you have have fed him for a lifetime.”
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