He’s the father of Odessa Mayor Javier Joven. Every morning Mayor Joven makes him breakfast and many days, he goes back to his childhood home to make him lunch as well.
The transition from child to parent took place when Jose’s wife of 67 years passed away. Jose is still sharp and has a great sense of humor.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for my caring son,” said Jose.
The Mayor also got candid about what it’s like serving as a caretaker.
“Sometimes it becomes increasingly difficult to put up with their idiosyncrasies, which is often indicative of them being reverted to their childhood,” said Mayor Joven.
“All this is because, we want to hold on to them for just a few extra years. It is also because we wish to delay the inevitable by some more years!”
There are many who can relate. The job of a caretaker can be extremely tiresome, frustrating, and stressful to say the least. That’s also the case for the Mayor.
Jose moved to Odessa in the 1950s. We had to ask him this question: What do you think of your son being the Mayor of Odessa?
Once again, his sense of humor came out.
“I never thought he’d get anywhere. I am PROUD!”