Christopher Reyes

Christopher Reyes Resident of Antioch Christopher (Chris) Reyes died of natural causes on Tuesday evening, December 9, at his family's home on West Madill Street. He was 76 years old. Chris leaves a brother, Dr. Alexander (Ruth) Reyes of San Jose; son Alexander (Raquel Baldocchi) of San Francisco; daughter Susan of Pittsburg; grandson Emiliano Dylan of Vienna, Austria and hundreds of loving friends and family. He also leaves loving companion Daisy the Dog. Wife Barbara in 1998 and sister Martha Alvarez in 2007 predeceased Chris. He was engaged at the time of his death to Ms. Ruth East of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. Fibreboard Corporation, Gaylord and Louisiana Pacific in Antioch employed Chris for 36 years. Chris was union activist and officer for many of those years for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Local 249. Chris was one of the local leaders of a breakaway movement of West Coast paper workers from an East-Coast-based union in the early 1960s. At one point during the wildcat strike, Antioch police singled out Chris and told him to leave the picket line or be jailed. He decided to leave only after his fellow strikers told him that he was more valuable to them outside of jail. In retirement, Chris cared for his beloved wife Barbara until her death. For almost 20 years he was "Editor in Chief" of the monthly Cobarrubia, Guzman, Reyes Family Newsletter, which kept 200 members of his mother's side of the family in touch with each other. He loved yard work so much that he tended not just his family home's large yards but the yards of other neighbors as well. He was extremely proud of grandson Emil, who is believed to be the first Mexican American ever to attend the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, which is the world's oldest school of diplomacy. Public viewing will be held Wednesday, December 17 from 4-8pm at Higgins Funeral Home, 1310 A Street in Antioch. A graveside service will be held December 18 at 11am at Holy Cross Cemetery in Antioch.