John M. "Chet" Acosta

My high school memories of Chet and his brother Victor are prominent in my mind. He was the essence of kindness and gentleness. He was an unforgettable man.

I met Chet in 2002. I came over as his daughter's friend. Christina wasn't home yet, so I sat in the kitchen with him. He started talking to me like he had known me for years. I could barely get a word in edgewise, and when I finally did I realized that I hadn't introduced myself. "I'm Greg, by the way," I managed. "Yeah," he replied. In his very next breath, he was back on yet another subject. It felt more like he was trying to catch up with an old friend than make small talk with the...

Chet was an amazing man whom I met 17 years ago. I was 17 years old and he was my friend Philip’s dad. Upon our first meeting, I was a bit intimidated—he was a big guy, strong, jet-black hair, handsome, quiet, and soft-spoken. Of course it wasn’t but a few meetings that I realized what a gentle, humorous, loving, and sweet man he was. I think my first fond memory was of how funny he was! He could make me laugh and he always had a smile. His home was always open to visitors, always open...