Jose Menendez, age 68, died peacefully in his sleep on November 25th 2 2017, from Stage 4 colon cancer at Monadnock Community Hospital.

Jose moved to America from Guatemala at age 17, with plans to return home but he fell in love with the country and decided to stay. Knowing very little English, Jose first worked as a towel boy at Fenway Park. He found a love for cooking, and worked in Boston at The Steak Place and the Harvard Club for several years. Eventually he moved to Nashua, NH for work, where he met and married Kathi. The two started a family in Milford and he continued his career in food service. Jose’s proudest work achievement was supervising and managing The Barn restaurant at Hitchiner Manufacturing. He loved to invite his friends and loved ones in for lunch and was happiest when making new connections with all his customers.

Jose’s two proudest accomplishments would by far be his two children, Zoe and Chase Menendez. He was always doing whatever it took to support his family and never let a day go by that he didn’t tell them he loved them. Everyone he talked to knew how much he loved his kids, and how proud he was of them. He will always be remembered as a loving, selfless father.

In his free time, he loved to garden and tend to the yard. He was always building something new, or adding new lawn decorations. He loved to go to yard sales and flea markets, and was a collector of all things sports. He even had an extensive autograph collection consisting of Barrack Obama, Larry Bird, David Ortiz, Jon Papelbon, and anyone else he could find, or meet!

Jose is survived by his two children, Zoe and Chase Menendez. He will also live on through all his family in Guatemala including his siblings Dora, Ana, Otto and Clara, as well as many nieces and nephews. Jose’s body was cremated and his children will each have some of his remains, while the rest will be sent back to Guatemala to be with the rest of his family. A church service will be open to the public and held on December 18th at 10am at St. Patrick Church at 34 Amherst Street in Milford, New Hampshire. A reception will be held immediately after at St. Patrick.