Jose "Pepe" Perez Correa

Jose “Pepe” Perez Correa’s long career as a longshoreman ended tragically Aug. 9 when his janitor’s truck crashed through the bull rail and plunged into the Stockton Deep Water Channel. He was a few weeks shy of his 80th birthday.

Correa started at the Port of Stockton as a casual in the 1950s. In 1966, he got his “B” registration in longshore Local 54.

“He worked 15 years for his ‘A’ card,” his son, Local 54 member Efrain Perez said. “He loved his work, that’s why he was still working at nearly 80 years old. He probably holds the record as the oldest active member in Local 54.”

Apparently no one witnessed the accident. Divers found the truck in 32 feet of water.

Correa was born in Mexico and spent the last 60 years of his life in Stockton. He worked in the canneries in the 1950s while he earned his casual card.

“He was still a hard working man on the job, he’d go down into the hold, taking hard jobs, shovel jobs, and keeping up with 20-year olds,” Perez said.

Port Chaplain Mike DeToro remembers Correa performing his janitor’s duties.

“He’d go up the gangway, right after the ship docks, and hook them up with water,” DeToro said. “He was like an ambassador, he had a smile for the crew and nice words for everybody. He was a great asset to the port.”

Correa was liked by everyone, said Local 54 President Dennis Brueckner.

“He was respected as a hard worker who was everybody’s friend,” Brueckner said. “He was always smiling, always willing to joke.”

ITF Inspector Jose Perez remembers Correa as a supportive person.
“He always took the time to talk to me, and encourage me, or when I had a hard time in any situation, he encouraged me to be strong,” Perez said.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. But there was a 31-hour delay from the time of the accident until rescue-recovery divers recovered the body. Local 54 Secretary-Treasurer Gene Davenport sees that as a serious safety issue. He has since met with officials from the city and the port to lobby for rescue and recovery divers for inland rivers.

“With 1,000 miles of waterway in the area, it’s a glaring hole in our safety and security that there’s not a diver rescue and retrieval team in place,” Davenport said.

—Tom Price