Joseph Tellez: World is a gloomier place without his caring smile

Maybe it would be the tiny notebook he kept in his shirt pocket to write down his own jokes and musings about life.

Or perhaps it would be the cinnamon candy he'd offer everyone from bank tellers to strangers at the bingo hall.

He might even find a granola bar, a tortilla, some doughnuts or a roll of duct tape if he dug deep enough into his trouser pockets.

Whatever anyone needed — a smile, gardening help or advice he heard on the Dr. Phil show — Tellez was there to provide it.

It's this legacy of good humor and generosity that friends and family recount when they talk about Tellez, who died suddenly at home from a heart-related ailment July 2. He was 75.

"He was a joker with everybody," said one of his seven children, Yolanda Martinez. "He didn't know you, but he told you a joke."

"They were his own made-up jokes," another daughter, Lupita Carrasco, said. "He really wanted to make people laugh."

Tellez regularly wrote in his journals. He'd compose jokes, record family history and jot down musings, chore lists and everyday occurrences. He carried a miniature black-and-white composition book in his shirt pocket at all times.

"If his shirt didn't have a pocket, he'd sew one on with the thread on the outside," daughter Sylvia Ibarra said.

"He would always read Reader's Digest and Arizona Highways, and he always wanted to submit jokes," daughter Mary Auchincloss said. "He wanted to write a book of jokes.

"They weren't very good," Auchincloss confessed.

That didn't stop Tellez from approaching strangers at the grocery store or in the bingo hall and telling them one of his made-up knee-slappers.

Tellez didn't limit himself to telling jokes. He enjoyed bragging about his children.

"Sometimes we'd get upset at him because a stranger would know our whole life story," Ibarra said.

Tellez wanted his wife of 52 years, Minnie, to be happy and his children to be successful, so he worked two or three jobs at times for most of his life.

Tellez was born and raised in Tucson. His father, a farmer, died when Tellez was 14, so the youth dropped out of school and found a job. He worked for various companies in Tucson, often in facilities maintenance, until retiring from Hughes Missile Systems in 1996.

"He had such a sweet heart and he worked very, very hard," said Atonya Frazier, a co-worker at Hughes. "He was so friendly, so outgoing, welcoming. He always had something good to say, and he loved to talk about his family."

Tellez's love for his wife was evident. Throughout their marriage, he wrote Minnie romantic notes; he held her hand across the table at bingo and the couple often took evening strolls, their children said.

"Everywhere they went, they were holding hands," Martinez said.

When their youngest daughter, Mary, was in college, she took friends to her parents' house for the weekend.

"I was always in awe by how he treated his wife — a lot of respect," said one friend, Christina Ballesteros, of Chandler. "He used to flirt with her in front of us, always commenting on her beauty and how smart she was.

"He's the example of what a husband and father should be," Ballesteros said. "He walked the talk, he truly did, and he never would have boasted about it, either. He's the most humble man you will ever meet."

Margel O'Brien met Tellez 40 years ago, when they worked at a Tucson radio station.

"He was the most wonderful person I ever met," O'Brien said. "He was so good to his wife and his children. He just thought the world of his family.

"The children were always so happy," she said. "They didn't have much, but they never complained. They were just so happy with the family they had."

Added Ballesteros: "They lived in a very humble, small home, but we never felt the size of that house."

Though Tellez worked hard for more than 60 years to support his family, he was generous to all his visitors.

"He always wanted to give you something — a screwdriver, a picture, these magazines," said son-in-law Bobby Carrasco, picking up a stack of Arizona Highways from the table.

"He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," Lupita Carrasco said. "My mom would whisper, 'Later you can throw it away if you want.' "

His generosity extended beyond material possessions. He also gave his time to friends and family. If one of his children needed help with gardening, he was there. If a friend needed assistance with a home repair, Tellez got out his duct tape.

"Everything had duct tape on it — his cane, the car," Auchincloss said.

"Duct tape was his favorite thing," Ballesteros said.

Even in death, Tellez was generous, donating his corneas, skin, ligaments and bones to help others.

"If all the men were like Joe, this world would be a wonderful place," O'Brien said.

On StarNet: Find more photos from this Life Story at http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/lifestories

Life Stories

This feature chronicles the lives of recently deceased Tucsonans. Some were well-known across the community. Others had an impact on a smaller sphere of friends, family and acquaintances. Many of these people led interesting — and sometimes extraordinary — lives with little or no fanfare. Now you'll hear their stories. Past "Life Stories" are online at go.azstarnet.com/lifestories