José A. Jiménez of Washington Township passed away peacefully on December 25, 2024, at the age of 85. He was the beloved husband of Miriam (nee Rodriguez) and a devoted father to Carolina Gali (Robert) and Rafael Angel Jiménez. "Mimo" was a loving grandfather to Arianna and Alejandro Gali. "Toño" was a cherished brother to Blanca Socorro, Carolina, and Raquel Jiménez, wife of Carlos Antoni. He is also survived by his nieces, Liza Raquel, Sandra Raquel, and nephew Carlos.

Born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, in 1939, José Antonio dedicated his life to education and community service. He proudly served in the United States Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard from 1957 to 1963. He earned his BA in Liberal Arts from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and an MS in Bilingual/ESL Education from the State University of New York at Albany. Throughout his distinguished career, José spent over 40 years enriching the lives of others through education and public service.

José's early career included various administrative and teaching roles with community and education programs in Puerto Rico. He went on to serve the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's Department of Labor, working with migrant workers in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. His teaching career also spanned middle and high school levels in Comerio, Puerto Rico, and Rochester, NY. Additionally, José volunteered at the Psycho-Pedagogical Institute in Bayamon, PR, working with special needs individuals. These formative career experiences helped him grow into a leader in education, culminating in his role as Director of Bilingual and Foreign Languages Education Programs K-12 for the Camden City School District from 1984 until his retirement in 2004. He also enjoyed serving as an Adjunct Professor of Education at Glassboro State College in Glassboro, NJ, from 1976 to 1996.

José loved to travel with his family. He had a deep appreciation for opera, classical music, cooking, and caring for his bilingual parrots. He also enjoyed camping in the forests of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. One of his favorite past times was relaxing at the Jersey shore with his family, especially strolling the boards of Atlantic City and visiting the casinos. Above all, he treasured moments with his grandchildren, Arianna and Alejandro, and was deeply devoted to them.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Friday, March 14th, 2025, from 10 to 11 AM, followed by a Memorial Mass at 11 AM at Holy Family Church, 226 Hurffville Road, Sewell, NJ 08080.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org