Jose David Minay, 73, of Cleveland, Tennessee, went home to be with the Lord on the

evening of July 13th at his home in Cleveland. To those closest to him, he was known

and loved as "Pepe."

Jose was born on January 20,1953, in Santiago, Chile, the firstborn of thirteen children.

As a toddler, he moved with his family to Paraguay as they answered a call to

missionary work, and later to Uruguay, where he spent much of his childhood and

teenage years before the family returned to Chile. That early life of crossing borders and

cultures would shape him to be the man he became.

As a young adult, Jose came to the United States to attend Lee College in Cleveland,

Tennessee, where he began working as an interpreter for Church of God World

Missions — a fitting continuation of the missionary life he was raised in. He later moved

to Miami, Florida, where he worked for United Airlines before returning to Cleveland to

fulfill his life's calling as a professor. While teaching at Lee, he completed

his doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Jose's greatest professional accomplishment was his career as a Spanish professor at

Lee University, a role he held with deep love and dedication for decades until his

retirement in the summer of 2022. He was a member of North Cleveland Church of

God.

Jose loved his work and, more than that, he loved his students. He had a special heart

for young people and for foreigners in particular, perhaps because he understood

firsthand what it meant to build a life far from home. He led study abroad and cross-

cultural trips with Lee University students, helping them become fluent in the Spanish

language. He began leading these trips to Ecuador, later to Chile, and finally to Puerto

Rico, sharing his love of travel and his knowledge of the culture, its people, and its food.

Those who knew Jose experienced him as calm, laid-back, and a carrier of peace. He

had a quiet steadiness that touched everyone close to him.

Jose was preceded in death by his father, Jose Gustavo Minay.

He is survived by his mother, Silvia Eliana Zarate de Minay; and his siblings, Eliana

Minay, Rebeca Durand (Jose), Israel Minay (Debbie), Lidia Grassano (Thomas), Esther

Cazorla (Tony), Ana Christian (Thomas), Carmen Ballestas (J.C), Samuel Minay (Maria

Eva), Sara Minay (Daniel), Victoria Minay, Gabriela Brummett (Jonathan), and Silvia

Kozak (Christian), along with twenty-one nieces and nephews, and six great-nephews

and one niece, as well as extended family who loved him dearly.

A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m., followed by a memorial service

from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Monday, July 20, at North Cleveland Church of God,

Dixon Chapel. The family is in the care of Buckner & Fike Funeral Home and Cremation.

Pallbearers include, Samuel Minay, Israel Minay, Jose E. Minay, Daniel Brown, Joe Durand, J.C. Ballestas, Tony Cazorla, Christian Kozak and Jonathan Brummett, respectively. 

In lieu of flowers, consider giving to the Jose Minay International Scholarship. https://www.leeuniversity.edu/give/

The family of Jose is in the care of Buckner & Fike Funeral Home and Cremation,