Cornelio Ozeta Jr.

Cornelio “Uncle JR” Ozeta

August 15th, 1948-May 23rd, 2024

Cornelio Ozeta Jr was born on August 15th, 1948, in Lordsburg, New Mexico. Cornelio, or Uncle Jr as he was known to his family, attended school in Lordsburg and was a 1966 graduate from LHS. Uncle Jr started college at the University of New Mexico but shortly after he answered the call for service by enlisting in the United States Navy as a field medical service technician. After tech school he was stationed to work with a Marine Corps Infantry platoon as a Navy Corpsman during the Vietnam War. Uncle Jr was Honorably Discharged from the Navy in November of 1971.

After his discharge, he became a licensed Vocational Nurse for the California Pediatric Rehabilitation Center. While working at the CAPRC Uncle Jr worked in the medical and surgical ward, and for five years he worked in the neonatal intensive care unit. He decided to take a break from the medical field and took a job with the City of Coronado,

California, as a landscaper and horticulturist. He worked his way up to Landscape and Maintenance Supervisor but in 1990 he moved to Hilo, Hawaii, where again, he answered the call to serve, but this time it was for the Big Island Aids Project. While with BIAP, he worked as the office manager, volunteer coordinator, case manager, and assistant to the executive director.

Uncle Jr received many awards and accolades during his time with BIAP but the two that stand out are the Hawaii First Ladies Outstanding Volunteer Award and when he represented the State of Hawaii at the American Institute of Public Service in Washington DC where he received the Jefferson Award in Recognition of Outstanding Public Service.

Uncle Jr parents were Cornelio and Dolores Ozeta, and he was the seventh out of eight children. Josefine Lopez (Bob) from Alamogordo NM, Cressie De La Garza from Green Valley AZ, Berna Arambula (Rudy) from Lordsburg NM, and Frank Ozeta (Ethelvina) from Agua Prieta MX. Uncle Jr had one daughter Alanna Gifford Gonzales and one granddaughter Effi Needels. He also has one godson, Chris Arambula.

He was preceded in death by his parents Cornelio and Dolores Ozeta, his sister Barbara Guerrero and her husband Gabriel, his sister Juanita “Sister” Sandoval and her husband Mac, one brother Valentine Silvas, and one sister-in-law Josie Ozeta.

On May 23rd, 2024, at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans State Home in Hilo Hawaii, Uncle Jr quietly passed away while in the presence of family. Honorary pallbearers will be Frank Ozeta Sr, Frank Ozeta Jr, Steve Arambula, Chris Arambula, Joe Guerrero Sr, and Larry Guerrero as well as all his nieces and nephews.

A private viewing was held at Bacas Funeral Chapel in Deming NM with cremation following at Baca’s Mimbres Crematory.  A graveside service will be Friday June 14, 2024 at  2 o’clock in the afternoon at Shakespeare Cemetery where he will be buried next to his parents. Fr. Jude Okonkwo will officiate and honors will be accorded by the U.S. Navy Honor Guard and the Marine Corps League.

The family would like to thank all the staff at the Yukio Okutsu Verterans State Home in Hilo, Hawaii. It was very difficult having Uncle Jr live so far away, especially these last few years. During his illness it was easier to know that even though his mainland family was so far away, his island family was taking great care of him.  

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