José M Zaldivar

“And when I turned to face grief, I saw it was just love in a heavy coat”

José loved life and was looking forward to so much more.  He was a supportive husband and a fun, hands-on dad who loved his wife and daughters deeply and unconditionally. A true gentleman, he loved playing with kids, walking in Glenmore Park with his dogs, cycling, puzzles, computers, food, and spending time with his family and friends. A self-taught flamenco dancer, José had a quirky sense of humour, laugh lines around his bright green eyes, and was quick to laugh at himself. He was the guy in the off-leash park who knew the names of all of the dogs but struggled to remember the names of their owners.

He is survived by his wife Elena; daughters Amanda, Olivia and Alicia Cecilia; dogs Harry, Sally and Diggity; his mother Alicia Abreu and his brothers, sister and their families in Mexico and Spain; his in-laws Randy and Cecilia Gossen and his brothers and sisters-in-law and their families in Canada; aunts and uncles in Canada, Spain and Colombia; and numerous cousins and close friends around the world.

Elena and the girls would like to extend heartfelt thanks to all the friends, neighbours and family who did so much to make the past six months bearable. Special thanks also to Ana Parada; Andrea Loria; Dr. Heng and his colleagues at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre; Nicole, Rachel and the rest of the Palliative Home Care team; and Father Eli Canete of St. James Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jose’s memory to Own.Cancer (https://owncancer.ca) Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation (https://pawsitivematch.org) or the Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society (http://theweaselhead.com) would be appreciated.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. James Catholic Church (5504 20 St SW) on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 12:00 pm. For those who were unable to attend, a recording of the service is posted below. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of José M Zaldivar, please visit our floral store.