Jose Soto Sr.

 Jose Soto Sr. 74 of Oswego, Illinois, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones after a short illness at Copley. Saturday 1-13-2018. He was born in Puerto Rico. Jose was employed at Henry Pratt for 43 years. Jose is survived by his devoted wife of 47 years, Kathy Soto (McNamara), his son James, his Grandchildren Tre, Dominique, Jacob & Kayla, his brother Mario and many other family members. He was preceded in death by his son Jose Junior, brother Flor, sister Carmen, and his parents. Jose was a devoted father, husband, uncle, grandfather and best friend to all who knew him. Jose never missed an opportunity to pick up new hobbies. He was a black belt in Karate and taught Karate to many students. In his early years, he had a Harley Davidson chopper. He was a falconer and a member of the Great Lake Falconry Association. We had a lot of dinners of rabbit and pheasant. Jose loved running and was in the Chicago Marathon. Jose got into photography and won some ribbons at the Sandwich Fair. He was a member of the Classic Chevy Club. He liked to show off his 56 Chevy Belair and his wife’s 64 Chevy Impala convertible. He even loved renovating our home inside and out, much to the dismay of his sons and grandson. Jose built a large Koi pond and enjoyed working on it. The koi would eat out of his hand. He was an avid reader and taught himself to grow and shape bonsais. He was into carving miniature houses. He would also host an annual pig roast, he took pride in seasoning the meat and roasting it to perfection. Jose will be missed by many. We were blessed to have him in our lives. He will forever be remembered as the most interesting man in the world.  Family will be receiving guests Thursday January 18, 2018, from 4:00 pm-8:00pm at Dieterle Memorial Home, 1120 S. Broadway, Montgomery, IL ., 630-897-1196. For guestbook and directions, visit www.dieterlememorialhome.com