Jose L. Linares, Family Patriarch

 Jose L. Linares, born July 31, 1923 in Pinar del Rio, Cuba and passed on March 21, 2017 at Clara Maass Medical Center. Linares was the patriarch of the family and was four months short of his 94th birthday. Linares came to the United States from Cuba via Spain, where he spent eight months, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1966 with his wife and 5 sons. Through hard work and perseverance, he bought his first home and settled in Newark in 1972. Eventually, he would move to Belleville and then Bloomfield, where he lived for the last eight years of his life. Linares worked for the Newark Board of Education from 1973, until his retirement in 1998, at the age of seventy-five.

  Linares was a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish of Newark for 25 years, serving three times as president of the Holy Name Society. In addition, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus of St. Michael’s Parish, also located in Newark.

 Linares was the sixth child in a family of eight siblings. He is survived by his sister Aleida Gaset of Miami, FL; his sons and their spouses, Judge Jose Luis and Gail Linares, Luis Alberto and Cheryl Linares, Luis Arturo and Robin Linares, Pedro Luis and Ivette Linares, and Luis Manuel Linares; his grandchildren, Joseph Linares, Megan Linares Artiles, Eric Linares, Luanne Linares Freeman, Albert Linares, Calli-Ann Linares, Brittany Silvestrini, Senator Art Linares, Ryan Linares, Colleen Mercedes Cecire, and Juliette Mercedes Linares, Nicholas Gencarelli, Jessica Gencarelli,; and his great-grandchildren, Adelina Linares, Luca Silvestrini, and Kora Silvestrini.

  He was predeceased by his cherished wife, Mercedes Estrella Linares, six siblings, and his adopted grandson, Marco Linares.

Linares spent his life always planning to return to his beloved Cuba, but insisted on returning only when Cuba was free. He always said the United States was the greatest country in the world.

www.oboylefuneralhome.com.

  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Knights of Columbus Charities,  One Columbus Plaza

PO Box 1966, New Haven, CT 06509-1966