MEMORIAL RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JOSEPH "JOE" MAURICIO
WHEREAS, Joseph "Joe" Mauricio, loving husband and family man, and everyone's Irog, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2021, at the age of 79; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Joseph's passing by the Honorable Pat Dowell, Alderman of the 3rd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Mauricio was bom on March 7, 1942; he attended Ateneo de Manila Philippines from grade school to high school, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Oklahoma University; and
WHEREAS, Joe was a loving and dedicated husband to his wife Veronica Leighton until his passing, and showed his love for Veronica in many ways: he served her coffee when she woke up in the morning, and cooked her breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and meriendas in between; he pampered Veronica, coloring her hair in between visits with her stylist and accompanying her to manicure and pedicure appointments; and
WHEREAS, Joe always made sure the water temperature was just right when it was time for Veronica to take a shower, warmed up the car seats for her during the cold days, and chose some of Veronica's clothes and jewelry for her when they would go shopping; he was a very conscientious grocery shopper; he washed the dishes and did laundry, vacuumed around the house, and was Veronica's chauffeur and runner; but most of all, Joe was a wonderful, romantic husband; and
WHEREAS, Joe was Veronica's rock, the wind beneath her wings, her support, and her number one fan; he was also her hero, her funny guy, and her inspiration in life; and
WHEREAS, In addition to being a devoted family man, Joe was also a loyal, dedicated, thoughtful, generous, and dependable friend; and
WHEREAS, A well-known media personality among the Chicagoland Filipino community, Joe was a Producer of and longtime Interview Host with CPRTV, a Filipino American television program covering lifestyle and culture in Greater Chicagoland that was founded by Joe's wife Victoria; Joe was also an excellent creative writer, and was the Co-Publisher of the VIA Times Newsmagazine, the partner publication of CPRTV; he wrote the monthly editorial for the magazine, and contributed a monthly column called Objectively Harsh; and
WHEREAS, Joe had a great sense of humor, if not always understood, and was a likeable fellow who was comfortable in any situation; Joe got along with most people he met, and Victoria would always tease him that he could run for mayor of their building because he was on a first-name basis with many of their fellow residents, and even knew many of their life stories; Joe would call the maintenance people in the building "mga bata ko," ("my boys"), and, sure enough, his parking area in the winter time was always cleaned first; and
WHEREAS, Joe's heart belonged to the shy, the underserved, and those who were unsure of themselves - he never discriminated, regardless of whether a person was poor, uneducated, rich, or educated; and
WHERES, Affectionately called "Mr. GO." by Victoria, Joe had great style and loved wearing barong Tagalog for special events and business suits on many occasions; and
WHEREAS, Known to many as "Pepper Joe", Joe had a passion for growing different varieties of hot peppers, and enjoyed giving away the peppers and the pepper plants; and
WHEREAS, Joe's favorite quotes on death were, "Die Today, die tomorrow, same die," and, "We are all in the waiting room now"; and
WHEREAS, Joe was a beloved husband and family man; dearest father of two; stepfather of Robert (Christina); grandfather of Maya and Christian; and fond uncle of many; he made a lasting impact on everyone he met, and will be remembered fondly by all of his family and friends; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-first day of April, 2021, do hereby extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Joseph "Joe" Mauricio; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family of Joseph "Joe" Mauricio as a sign of our honor and respect.
PAT DOWELL Alderman, 3rd Ward