Joe Alvarez

Paramedic Joe (Jay) Alvarez, Jr., 32, of Robinson, passed away Wednesday night, September 13, 2006 in a tragic accident.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco with Father David Leibham as celebrant.

Burial with military and EMS honors will follow in the Oakwood Cemetery of Waco. The rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Sunday at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque, (located directly across from the Heart of Texas Fair Complex) with visitation to follow until 8 p.m. Everyone is invite to attend. A memorial video honoring his life will be shown during the visitation.

He was born October 5, 1973 in Boynton Beach, Florida to Frances Bryan and the late Joe Alvarez.

Joe was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church and was in the Knights of Columbus. He served in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic where he obtained numerous awards and decorations, and he culminated his army career as a Gulf War Veteran.

Joe was a driver engineer for the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department for seven years and simultaneously was an instructor of the Emergency Medical Technician Course, and obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Fire Science in Palm Beach County before moving to Texas.

He worked for East Texas Medical Center EMS in Waco, where he subsequently was promoted to Supervisor.

Joe also worked for the Rural Hill Medical Center, and again was subsequently promoted to supervisor. He also taught Emergency Medical Service Classes at the Hill Community College at night.

It also should be noted that Jo upgraded the Rural Hill EMS to one of the best services in the area by implementing improved MICU capabilities.

Joe's life could be summed up by the word: selfless. He always had a sincere caring for his family as well as his associates. He always went the extra mile for his students, his patients and even strangers. He constantly volunteered when the occasion would arise.

Jay would love to be remembered cooking, singing and playing his guitar and walking his land with his wife and children at his side.

Joe is survived by the love of his life, Jessi Gonzales Alvarez.

Joe was a loving and caring father to his three sons: Alexander Jay, Andrew John and Anthony Jacob.

Other survivors include his mother, Frances and step-father, Gil Bryan; his sister, Melody Lightfoot and husband Dan; his father and mother-in-law, Johnny and Gloria Gonzales, and sister-in-law, Melissa, and husband Chris Ybarra of West Palm Beach, Florida; brother-in-law, John Paul Gonzales and his nieces, Amber and Lindsay Lightfoot and nephews, Matthew Lightfoot and Samuel John Ybarra.

Donations may be made to a fund established for Jay's children at Independence Bank, 8004 Woodway Drive, Woodway, TX 76712.