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José Manuel (Joe) Pinedo was born on Jan. 18, 1955 in Douglas, Arizona. He died on Sept. 3, 2022 at Chandler Regional Medical Center due to catastrophic injuries suffered in an automobile accident. Raised in Pirtleville (Pueblo Nuevo), Arizona, Joe was the oldest of five siblings and spent much of his time working on the family ranch in McNeal. He earned his Associate’s Degree from Cochise Community College and two Bachelor’s Degrees from Northern Arizona University, where he met his beloved wife Rebecca. The couple married and moved to Miami in 1980.
Joe was a beloved teacher and coach. He spent 17 years in Miami Public Schools, where he taught at Las Lomas Elementary and Lee Kornegay Junior High and coached basketball and football. He taught adult education at the Eyman complex of the Arizona State Prison in Florence and then at Excel Adult Education Center on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. He taught intermediate and high school at San Carlos Unified Schools, where he also coached junior varsity basketball. He retired as a preschool teacher at Head Start of Globe. He sincerely cared for every student he ever taught, no matter their age.
He was a loving and committed husband, father and grandfather (“Tata” to his seven grandchildren). He always rooted for his kids and grandkids and enjoyed supporting all their extracurricular pursuits. He loved camping, playing guitar, working in his shed and yard, growing a garden, cooking out, listening to music with the volume up (typically his favorite band Santana) and his beloved dog Selosa. He was an amazing storyteller and was always laughing or making someone laugh.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, José Acuña Pinedo and Manuela Olivares Pinedo. He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Rebecca Pinedo (née Wettlaufer); his three children, José Miguel (Mariah) Pinedo of Safford, Mario (Holly) Pinedo of Coolidge and Ashley (Erik) Pinedo-Carlson of Chicago; his seven grandchildren, Donovan and Elora of Payson, Maxwell and Milo of Coolidge, Elias of Safford, and Lukas and Carolina of Chicago; and his siblings Mercedes (Bayer) Vella of Tucson, David (Eileen) Pinedo of Fort Collins, Colorado, María (Arturo) Pinedo-Mojica of Tucson and Rosa (Ross Butler) Pinedo of Phoenix.
Visitation was held on Monday, September 12 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Miami, Arizona.
Rosary Service was held on Monday, September 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Miami, Arizona.
Memorial Mass was held on Monday, September 12 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Miami, Arizona.
Interment followed at Pinal Cemetery in Central Heights, Arizona.
Assisting the family; Lamont Mortuary of Globe.
