John Rodrigues Neto Jr.

John Rodrigues Neto Jr. died March 16. He was 81.

Neto was the son of Portuguese immigrants and was born Nov. 23, 1933 in Oakland. He grew up in Hayward, California as was instrumental in helping his parents adapt to a new country. Neto worked ranches in the area, graduated from Hayward Union High School in 1952 and eventually went into driving truck for a living. He and his loving wife Norma Jean eloped to Reno on New Year’s Eve in 1955. They recently celebrated more than 60 years of marriage.

Neto worked in the transportation department at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from the late 80s up until his retirement in 1996. His career overlapped for a short period with his son's at the Lab and gave them opportunity to have many father-son lunches together.

Truck driving was a big part of who he was and so was standing up for the rights of the working class. He was raised in a family of union men and his uncles were longshoremen in San Francisco during the historic general strike led by Harry Bridges in the 30s. As a teamster, he was a very active union representative. His dedication to social justice was something he carried with him right up until the end. Always politically outspoken, he worked within the system to advance legislation in support of the less fortunate.

Starting out somewhat introverted, Neto ultimately became one of the most outgoing individuals you could ever meet and would make friends in line at the grocery store or anywhere else he happened to be. The greatest tribute we can make to this man's life is to go out and make the effort to befriend some stranger who might really need one. It was what he did every chance he got. He was an uncomplicated man who kept life simple, and despite fighting cancer for the past two years, he enjoyed every moment to the fullest. As a docent at Mission San Jose, he touched the lives of countless school children while teaching them about California history. This was one of his greatest joys.

Neto believed in old school values and adhered to simple, time proven truths. No joke was too silly if it could get someone to laugh or inject humor into a conversation. His commitment to the entertainment and enjoyment of others during his life's journey enriched the lives of countless people along the way and extended beyond the border of the U.S. to Brazil.

Neto is survived by his wife, Norma Neto of Fremont; son, Mitch Neto and his wife Shelly of Danville; sisters, Christina Garcia of Lincoln and Dorothy Fernandez of San Ramon and grandchildren, Matt Neto of Concord and Mariel Neto of Los Feliz.

A viewing is planned from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20 with a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. at Chapel of the Angels, 40842 Fremont Blvd. in Fremont. A memorial service will be held in the historic Mission San Jose in Fremont on Saturday March 21 at 11 a.m. followed by a reception in the adjacent St. Joseph's church.