A few weeks ago, I found out a very dear co-worker of mine from Laredo, TX sadly passed away. I had the great pleasure of being Santana’s #834 classmate at CBP’s FLETC Academy (Glynco, GA). A very fond memory our CBP classmates & I shared with Santana was the day he had his PT run test. Santana had a prior injury on his leg that did not allow for him to run in the required time to pass his test. We all kept on encouraging Santana by running with him daily after class(on our own time) until the much anticipated test date for his run. I was so determined to support my fellow classmate pass his run, that the day of the run I pleaded with our class instructor to allow me & the rest of my fellow classmates (the other half of our original #834 group) to get out 15 minutes early, so that we could make it to the track field where Santana & the rest of our group would be getting ready to run their much anticipated mile and a half. Our instructor said, “Of course, go support your fellow classmate Santana!” Our group immediately ran towards the track field and found the group had already began their run test. We all began cheering Santana on! You should have seen Santana’s look of surprise as we all called out his name & cheered him on with shouts & claps! ? Santana was so excited, he began to sprint the last 200 yards! For those of you that don’t know our Santana (a.k.a “Papi”), he is is not only big framed, but also huge at possessing a noble & kind heart! ? I wish you could have seen the amount of excitement & cheering that went on that day at that track field the last 200 yards! People who were passing by to their next classes stopped and joined in on the cheering too!!! A big crowd formed! Santana ended his test run that day as a true champion! Our hearts were full of overjoy to learn he passed his run well underneath the required time!! We all hugged him & cried with him!! ?? our instructor Mr. Farias later told us that Santana’s run became a legend on campus. They showed his video to later classes to show them how our group was the first to support each other in such a never seen way. We thank you for your service my fellow CBP classmate! Rest In Peace “Papi”! You will forever be our #834 class champion! ??
*** My most sincere condolences to Jose Santana’s wife, daughter, family & friends. Analia Salazar (CBP Officer at the Skagway Port of Entry in Alaska)***
Condolences to the family of Jose Santana. I knew Jose from the time he came into the police academy and he was truly one of the “good guys.” He was kindhearted and was in effect a gentle giant. I remember like it was yesterday when he left to Glynco, Georgia to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in 2008 to become a U.S. Customs officer. Due to his large frame, he struggled with extreme difficulty during the final physical evaluations there, but was so beloved by his fellow classmates that they all came together and literally cheered him over the finish line. It was the thing of legend, and the video is still used at the FLETC as a motivational training tool. Jose’s tremendous determination and dedication to the task of passing the academy, no matter how difficult the physical training was, was paramount to him; he was absolutely determined to persevere so that he could become a Customs officer and represent the country he so much loved, and to support his wonderful family. He never gave up on his dream, and with the support of his FLETC classmates, he passed the academy and became a federal officer. I was fortunate to have traveled to Glynco, Georgia to see him graduate. He was so proud that he had made it, but was also very thankful that he had made it through the grueling process, and was also so very happy that after so many months away from his family he was going to finally return home to them. Although his body is gone now, his spirit and memory will live on in all those he knew and all those people who admired him not only for the man he was, but also for the inspiration he provided to many others around him. R.I.P. Jose, and I can’t stop thinking about your world-class finish at the FLETC academy so many years ago. Truly Legendary!
Jose... vivimos una experiencia increíble en el retiro de ACTS, nos hermanamos y nos estuvimos saludando casi a diario y luego... muy sorpresiva tu partida. Te doy un abrazo con la esperanza de estar con Dios algún día, esa es nuestra Fe.
Un abrazo familia!
I’m lighting a candle in your dear loved one’s honor.
I know words can’t take away the hurt you’re feeling, but I want you to know how much we care. Sending you love and strength in this time of loss.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18
My condolences to the family. ❤
Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.
My sincere condolences to you and your family. May you find comfort in knowing you are not alone and that you are surrounded by those who care for you.
I am so sorry for your loss. But just remember that while he may be gone from this earth heaven has gained an angel. He will forever watch over all of us, especially his wife and daughter. Descanza en paz mi amigo. Algun dia nos veremos otra vez.
Jose. May your soul rest in eternal peace. We remain here to carry the torch brother. See you in heaven one of the days.
To the family of Jose Santana: We offer our deepest condolences at this difficult time. May GOD guide you and Bless you . We are thinking of you and we offer our prayers. Sincerely from Mr. and Mrs. Esteban Reyes Jr. and Family
Our most sincere condolences. May he rest in peace.
You left a deep impact on many lives since the day they met you. May God bring comfort to your families hearts and may you rest in peace. 'Till we meet again my dear friend.
Marcella my prayers are with you, your daughter and family. He was a great husband, father and son. May he Rest In Peace and look upon you as an Angel from Heaven. Anything you may need please let us know.
My condolences to all the family. May he rest in peace and may God send you comfort.
My condolences to you & your family on the loss of a great husband & wonderful father. May he rest in peace. I am so sorry.
My sincerest heartfelt sympathy in your loss. I did not know Officer Santana but he sounds like a wonderful man and I know you will miss him immensely. As part of the Customs family I share your loss and will keep you all in my prayers. Supervisory Import Specialist Kathleen Cheney
In memory of José Antonio Santana, Andres Gerardo Zamudio lit a candle
Familia de Jose, Lamento profundamente la perdida de Mi estimado compañero de mesa del retiro de ACTS de DIC/16. Afortunadamente nos escribiamos casi diario en nuestro grupo de WhatsApp y eso nos unio mucho, ademas de vernos con bastante frecuencia en los juegos de beibol de los Tecolotes aqui en Laredo TX y ocacionalmente en el puente al cruzar por el SENTRI...
Definitivamente que lo recordare toda mi vida con su habitual sonrisa y su Don de gente, QDEP y para Ustedes mis oraciones para poder recibir BENDICONES y poder aceptar este dificil momento
Marcella,
Our deepest condolences to you, Melania, and the rest of the family. Santana was a great man and a good friend. May he Rest In Peace. He will be missed dearly. Prayers for strength during this difficult time.
My sincere condolences to the family. Officer Santana was a good man and always very polite and outgoing. May he R.I.P.
Mi más sinceras condolencias para toda la familia en paz descanse mi gran amigo baby Santana.
Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.
In memory of Jose Antonio Santana, Juan C BArberena lit a candle
To the Santana-Chaires Family:
Celebrating the life of a good man and mourning his passing with you. Please receive our deepest condolences during this difficult time. May the Grace and Love of God be with you.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. ~ Mathew 5:4
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ~ Mathew 5:8
Itza Marielys segunda sobrina uffff como saber que ya no estas como quisiera que fuera un sueño & verte como eras siempre alegre & relajando Te ame & te amare x el resto de mii vida mii Tio Jose Papa Dios te llamo muy temprano pero aun q no lo entienda tu partida Dios es nuestra fortaleza I love u to the moon & back ????????????? Big Papi ? RIP MY LOVE mi Tio Jose ????
With my sincere condolences to the Santana Chaires family.
His presence will be missed at the Port of Laredo.
Rest in Peace.
You were one of the officers in Laredo that I always looked forward to working with! You made my day by making me laugh at all the things you had seen.
RIP Papi!
Mi tío ?soy su sobrina Vanessa Marie es como un sueño saber que ya no estarás con nosotros ?Te Amo y siempre Te amare mi tío ?
Que descanse en paz allá en el cielo con nuestro Padre Celestial, que Dios de mucha fortaleza a toda su familia.
My condolences to all your family, specially your wife and sweet daughter. Know that they are not alone. The CBP family will be there. To big papi. One of the original boricua OG from CBP Laredo. The 06, 07 group will miss your smile, sense of humor, ethics, advise, and everything you've done. You represented us with dignity and honor. Nuestra Bandera sigue en alto. Papi calienta ese brazo y sigue jugando en el cielo. Nos veremos en el field pronto mi hermano. Descansa en paz. El senor te tenga en su gloria.
R.I.P. my friend. Condolences to Mrs Santana and her daughter.
On behalf of the San Juan Field Office, I express our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Santana-Chaires family. CBP Officer Santana was a dedicated officer who will be missed by his many friends in Texas and Puerto Rico.
It’s so strange to speak of my brother In blue Santana in the past tense. He was taken so suddenly. One moment he was here joking around with me like always over a taco and some coffee and the next moment he is gone. It’s sad not to hear his loud and hilarious outbursts at work, or to see his eyes light up when talking about his daughter. He was so proud of Melania. He was her biggest fan, always supporting her 100%. Their bond was so evident. You could see that his wife and daughter meant everything to him. Ready and willing to adjust his schedule at work help his daughter with school so his wife could work. That’s who he was. A larger than life guy everyone loved to be around. He just made your day. It breaks my heart to know that this great man will no longer bless us with his presence but I am comforted knowing that he is with our Lord and Savior in heaven. We can all learn a little something from Big Papi. There is nothing more important than your family... there is no reason you can’t have fun at work... there is no reason you can’t have a tremendous impact on those around you just by being kind, and Being yourself. Love you BIG PAPI!! Till we meet again...
-Soler
My most sincere condolences to the Santana family. Big Papi was a wonderful CBP brother who I had the pleasure of working with and like the big man that he was, so was his humble heart. Hasta luego hermano.
Que en el cielo estés junto al Dios padre vuela alto ??
Our deepest condolences to the Santana family. Jose Santana will always be remembered as a good person. May he rest in peace.
To Santana-Chaires family, my deepest condolences and sympathies to you on the passing of Jose Santana. He was a great friend and great police officer. He always had a great smile and was a always ready to help . He will always be " Big Papi" to me. May he rest in peace.
On behalf of the Garay family, our deepest condolences go out to you Marcella, Melania and Santana/Chaires family. We will always remember Jose in our baseball family. May God grant you the strength to deal with this difficult time.
To the Santana and Chaires family:
I want to express my condolences on the passing of Jose. He was a proud member of the Sector III Patrol Command during his time with the LPD. He was respected and liked by everyone due to his big heart, kind personality and willingness to always help his fellow officers. He was a great police officer and always took pride in his work. He was a friend to many.
May God grant you the strength to cope with his loss. May Jose rest in peace.
Family Chaires - Santana,
Mr. Santana was a great person always with a smile. A wonderful Police Officer, father and husband. He was a really nice person you can talk too. Our deepest condolences in this time of sadness. We send you prayers and love through this time. He will be gone from our sight but never forgotten from our hearts. Blessings, may you find peace and comfort.
Omar H. Moreno Jr. & family.
My deepest condolences to the Santana family. May god bless the family and give them strength to heal on this difficult time. Santana will always be remembered as an outstanding and amazing person. May he rest in peace.
Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.
On behalf of the Vazquez family, we wanted to send our heartfelt condolences to Marcella, Melania and the whole Santana-Chaires family. Today we reminisce about the days he was with us. He was such a good friend and fun to work with. And although one should never question God's reason in choosing to take him, take comfort in knowing that Jose will always be present in our memories and in our hearts. God bless you.
Santana was one of the first to reach out and welcome me to CBP when i was a rookie. I learned alot from him and for the past 6 years, i was honored to earn his friendship. I will never forget him cheering and clapping out of no where, out loud for officers to have a good shift, the constant joking and making fun of each other to get a good laugh at work and by phone, and knowing he had my back no matter what. I looked forward to working with him because the day always went by faster. I will truly miss you brother, rest in peace and I will see you again someday.
you will be sorely missed by me and my family. You brought so much joy to this world. God must have need a special Angel on the pitcher's mound. Rest in Peace.
My condolences to the Santana Family. Santana, you were a dear friend to everyone. I’m going to miss you calling me “2Paaaac!” Every morning at work. You will be greatly missed by everyone. You had a very big heart.
Great man. He was the first person who introduced himself to me when I arrived in Laredo. Always happy. Rest in Power brother.
Rest easy “Big Papi” we got it from here!
To the Chaires-Santana Family. I want to express my heartfelt condolences over the passing of Jose. I worked with Jose, when he graduated from CBP Academy at the bridges. He was a responsible, hardworking officer with a great sense of humor. His greatest pride enjoy was his family, daughter, and his origins, Puerto Rico ??. La isla del encanto! Until we meet again my friend, Rest In Peace!
Santana ....You were my first partner ever in pd from The very first day I was on my own in district 1, and you couldn’t have been more nicer and humble! You were a great cop and a better human being! A big man with an ever bigger heart! May you RIP Santana!
To his family: please know that you are in my prayers!
Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.