Joseph R. Villegas

Joseph R. Villegas was born in Torrance, California to Regino and Elizabeth, following his older sister Michelle everywhere. He was a red-haired baby affectionately called “Wiggy Wegas”, and later “Joey” as he was growing up. Joe was “all boy”, earning stitches numerous times to the dismay of his nurse mother. Joe was already 14 when his little sister Tasha was born, and he took upon himself the role of her “protector”. With his mom focused on the new baby, Joe spent time with his “other families” – his lifelong friends the Baca, Edwards, Waters, and Del Rio families. He attended Vista View Middle School and Ocean View High School in the Huntington Beach area, and started working at Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center Restaurant in his early teens, continuing on to jobs in other restaurants and moving into management. Joe followed his dad to employment at the British Petroleum refinery in Carson in 2001, where he started as a control room operator. He soon found his calling in Fire, Safety, and Health, working as an industrial firefighter, safety representative, and emergency response instructor where they referred to him as “Little Joe.” When an opportunity arose to represent his fellow workers at the refinery, he relished the challenge of union negotiations and became an expert in understanding and applying the union contracts. Joe took his position with NuStar Energy in Wilmington in 2012 as a Marine Terminal Operator, and continued to work as an Emergency Response subject matter expert. He also served as acting manager for his terminal beginning in 2017.

A Great Gatsby party in 1996 was the beginning of Joe’s romance with the love of his life, Regina Granados. They were married March 22, 2003 at St. Alphonsus Parish Church in East Los Angeles, and Joe loved taking Regina out on the town and throwing fancy birthday parties for her. In 2007, they welcomed their son Jacob. Joe was always ready to dress up in themed costumes with his boy at Halloween, introduced him to Michael Jackson and devotedly took Jacob to play baseball and learn boxing.

After suffering his health crisis in the summer, God graciously granted Joe a reprieve to share with his family in his, Jacob’s, and Regina’s birthdays as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all cherished this precious time together. Joe recognized the transience of this life and put his trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. Now he is at rest with God, and he is greatly missed by all who knew him.

Survivors include his wife Regina, son Jacob, father Regino Villegas, mother Elizabeth Camou-Wolff, sisters Michelle Lefaoseu and Tasha Wolff, his Godchildren, Dorian Granados, Keilan and Keira Lefaoseu and Mathew Bartholomew as well as his numerous extended family and friends.

2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, If anyone belongs to Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is come!

Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401