Courtesy photo Vianney Abrego
Long time UTRGV Dining Services employee, Leonard Reese died Jan. 2. He spent 10 years as part of the university and was known for his warm and humble spirit and willingness to work hard. His spirit and sense of humor impacted those who worked alongside him.
UTRGV Dining Services General Manager Luis Guzman II said Leonard had a strong personality in the kitchen.
“His tenure and leadership was shown through his work ethic,” Guzman said. “But what really stood out to me is the relationship that Leonard had with those who entered ‘El Comedor’ and visited our locations there, to see him interact with students on a daily basis.”
Brownsville Chef Manager Francisco Vazquez said at first he was a little intimidated by his strong character.
“But his work ethic was phenomenal,” Vazquez said. “You can tell that he really cared about the students, the staff and more so the food that he was putting out. Just very passionate and just love what he did”
Stephanie Gonzalez, full-time graduate student, spoke about working with Leonard in the summer and seeing him everyday.
“Leonard was such a welcoming spirit,” Gonzalez said. “He liked to joke that he was a grumpy old man but that was just kind of his humor. He was just a humorous person who cared deeply, you could tell from his work.”
Interdisciplinary Studies Freshman Natalia Montiel described one of his best qualities.
“He had that warm smile, that kind of warmth that it like gets contagious,” Montiel said.
UTRGV Dining Services posted the news on their Instagram profile where the reaction of students and staff was shown by kind comments and condolences to his family and friends.
This is Fernanda Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
