Tracy
John V. Borges Jr.
April 23, 1935-June 25, 2013

    A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for John V. Borges Jr., 78, of Tracy at 11:00am on Wednesday, June 3rd at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Tracy.  A Rosary will be recited at 7pm on Tuesday, June 2nd at Fry’s Mortuary in Tracy.  Burial will follow the services at Tracy Pubic Cemetery.
   Johnny was born on April 23, 1935 in Tracy, CA at the old Toste Dairy on Corral Hollow Road, to his parents John Sr. and Maria Borges.  He passed away at home with his family by his side on Tuesday, June 25, 2013.  Johnny was married to his beautiful wife, Dolores, for over 59 years.  They have four children, William Anthony (Bill), Johnny David, Marie and Nicole.
   In his teens Johnny began driving tractor for Alvarez Brothers in Tracy.  Shortly after his marriage Johnny began working at Holly Sugar, also in Tracy.  He shared his love of motorcycles with his brother Tony at an early age.  After a motorcycle accident laid him up for about six weeks, his wife, a horse enthusiast, took this opportunity to share her love of horses and riding with him.  He was known for his quiet demeanor, Levi’s, cowboy boots and “ten-gallon hat” – he became our Cowboy.  In his late twenties, he began working as the Green’s Superintendent at the Tracy Golf and Country Club.  For 11 years his love of the outdoors, pride and attention to detail shown through in the beautifully maintained golf course.  A beauty that was evident at his home on Audrey Drive.  Dolores was always by his side working in their yard, which passersby would stop to admire.  In his early thirties Johnny began working as the Parks and Recreation Supervisor for the City of Manteca.  For over 28 years he was in charge of maintaining the parks, ball fields, and pool until his retirement in 1994.  After getting home from work, he could be seen out on his tractor in the evening taking care of his walnut orchard. 
   Johnny loved spending time with his family camping in the mountains, clamming in Pismo, meeting his buddies for breakfast, riding his horse Jubilee, with his German Shepherd, Grizzly by his side.  He was devoted to his wife and children, their spouses and all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He and Dolores spent a lot of time taking care of their own beautiful yard, going to the coast, Reno, and were always working on projects around their home, at their rentals or lending a hand to help one of their children with a project.  He was a huge John Wayne fan and if you caught him actually sitting long enough to watch TV – you can bet there was a western on.
   Johnny was preceded in death by his father, John V. Borges Sr., his mother, Maria, Tia Jezuina, two older brothers, John and Tony and sister-in-law Rosalie.  Survivors include, his wife Dolores, son Bill (Penny) Borges, son Johnny (Sabrina) Borges, daughter Marie Borges (fiancé Brian Flores), and daughter Nicole (Mike) Boyd.  Grandchildren Anthony Borges, Alisha (Scotty) George, Megan (Mac) McMullen, Natalie Ramos (fiancé, Shane Sequeira), Justin Ramos, Dylan Ramos, Jordyn Boyd, Jalyn Boyd, Haley Boyd and Hannah Boyd.  Great-grandchildren, Cheyenne and Austin George, Audrey and Mac McMullen, Logan Sequeira and numerous nieces and nephews.  Johnny was also very close to his cousin Della Garibaldi.
   Johnny will be greatly missed by his entire family and friends.  He was a devoted Husband, Dad, Grandpa (Papa), and Uncle.  In the words of one of his favorite singing cowboys, Roy Rogers, “Happy trails to you, until we meet again.  Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then”.  This isn’t goodbye – simply, until we meet again.
   The family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the hospital and home visits, food, flowers, love and moral support throughout these past several months. A special thanks to the doctors, Vitas Hospice Care and Denise Streeter for her kindness, compassion and wonderful care of Johnny (aka Chief).
   Donations can be made in Johnny’s name to Tracy InterFaith Ministries, P.O. Box 404, Tracy, CA 95378 and St. Bernard’s Catholic Church Building Fund, 163 W. Eaton Ave., Tracy, CA 95376.

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Saturday, June 29, 2013