Jose Antonio Arce

José Antonio Arce

August 22, 1948 - April 2, 2018

José Antonio Arce was born in Chihuahua, Mexico on August 22, 1948. He moved with his family to California at age five and fulfilled his parents' dreams of attaining an education and honoring family. José passed away on April 2, 2018 surrounded by his family.
José grew up in Colusa, California where he was industrious from a young age, serving as both an altar boy and the town's paperboy. Eager to make an impact on the world, he left Colusa at age 17, graduating from Berkeley High School.
The anti-war and civil rights movements greatly influenced José. He moved to NYC and converted an abandoned storefront into a children's center. Sure in his convictions, José became a conscientious objector to the War in Vietnam. His FBI case officer subsequently assigned him "the worst job in the worst place in the worst city" as an orderly at LA County General Hospital. After completing his service, he earned his Masters of Architecture from UC Berkeley. At Cal he was co-founder of the Chicano Architecture Students Association and coordinator of the Chicano Library, developing what became known as the Chicano Classification System.
Over his 28-year career at Citibank, José rose to Director of Finance and Operations and shaped the bank's community development initiatives. He also served as planning director at the Spanish Speaking Unity Council, co-founded a community planning and architecture firm and the Fruitvale Credit Union, and was Chair of the Oakland Planning Commission. José volunteered on numerous boards, including the Bay Oaks Soccer Club, Earned Assets Resource Network, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, Marcus Foster Educational Institute, and Vital Healthcare Capital. José's professional passion was mentoring; he opened doors to numerous young people seeking careers in finance and community development.
In retirement, José traveled with his beloved wife through Eastern and Western Europe, across the American Southwest and to South America. At home, he personally completed several renovation projects, including a new kitchen, bathroom and wine cellar. Over several years, he extensively researched his wife's and his family's genealogies, work that his family will always treasure.
José's life was well-lived, with a focus on family and making a positive impact on others. He is survived by his wife Melba, children Laura, Gabriel, and Daniel, grandchildren Olivia, Nicolas, and Alexandra, son-in-law Chris, daughter-in-law Christine, and siblings Carlos, Luis, and Maria del Pilar. José was predeceased by his parents, Francisco and Consuelo.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.