Jim & Alida O'Leary

Joe was our dear friend, we loved him like a brother.
JOE’S STORY

We had planned to go snorkeling on the Caribbean Coast near Portobello for over a week. As Saturday morning arrived, Joe and I were up and had breakfast by 5:30 A.M. I double- checked our gear, I had my Jet-Fins, (these were an oversized extra-long, very powerful set of diving fins), my old pair of high-top sneakers to support the fins, my mask and snorkel. I had also borrowed several set of snorkeling gear from some friends so that everyone would be well equipped.
Blaine and Sherri picked us up at 6:00 A.M. sharp at our barracks. We stuffed our gear in their VW Bug. Joe and I had a difficult time getting comfortable though, since both Joe and I are over six-feet tall. It was a snug fit but we were determined to be comfortable. We had to be; it was nearly a two-hour ride to the opposite side of Panama and up the coast towards Portobello.
We made several stops along the way. The rainforest was a beautiful place and there were several scenic spots. One in particular, very near the geographical center of the isthmus, had a waterfall that was only 20-30 feet high, but was spread out like a trailing bridal gown. It was approximately 100 feet wide. The moss that had grown under the water was a brilliant Malachite green which contrasted sharply with the very deep almost Kelly green of the surrounding forest.
I loved this spot. There was a small covered picnic table there. Under the arched roof a very large, (10 inches), white tarantula had built its nest or web. I always liked observing people’s reaction to this. It went from shock to fear to admiration. I was in Panama for almost three years and every time I stopped there the spider was always there.
Finally, we had seen enough, we were getting anxious to get out the warmth of the dense almost claustrophobic rainforest into the wide-open breezy coast.
When we finally arrived at the coast it was almost 9:00 A.M. The local Indians here were very friendly, they greeted us as we passed through their village the population of which was only 300-400. Even though I did not know them by name, they recognized me since I made several trips a week to go diving. I had permission to park anywhere as long as the car was off the road. The Locals had reassured me, that no one would ever disturb any of my stuff. I felt very safe there.
We picked a spot just beyond one of the many banana plantations; the bananas were in season and smelled delicious, just like freshly made banana pudding. You could park, walk down the embankment, cross 10-15 feet of ankle-deep water on top of a coral reef, then jump into the water on the edge of a 90-100 foot deep coral reef, that went on for miles in both directions. This was one of our, (my friends and I), favorite spots to dive or snorkel. The Edge, as we called it went on for 5 or 6 miles along the coast leading into the protected port of Portobello, (this word means; beautiful port), which was about 3 miles further up the coast.
This day had the perfect combination of cloudless sky and the complete lack of wind. This created spectacularly clear water. Even though the water is always clear during the dry season the constant blowing of the Trade Winds really churns up the water and the debris from the coral reefs make the water very cloudy. This also creates a hazardous situation, where you can get tossed around and thrown against the coral reef. Today was in the middle of the Rainy Season; an approximately 5-6 month period from April to November, when it would rain at least once a day. But like everything else in Panama, the amount of daily rain varied depending on where in Panama you were. The Caribbean Coast near Portobello receives close to 200 inches of rain a year.
Portobello was a very popular spot during the 1500 – 1800’s. It was a favorite hangout of the pirates, and there are several sunken ships in the area to go down and visit if you dare. The Outer Reef that separates the coast from the open ocean was about 1- 2 miles offshore. This kept most of the large predatory fish away from the coast. There were still a few barracuda which deserve a lot of respect.
During the Rainy season there is at times no surf what so ever and the tidal change is very minimal, this causes the water to remain very calm almost placid. This contributes greatly to clarity of the water.
As I jumped in I was thoroughly amazed at the clarity of the water. I came out very quickly and told everyone just how spectacular it was.
I have neglected to say that this was a very special day for another reason. Until this day my friend Joe had been afraid of water, he had never learned to swim. It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to believe that a person just cannot sink in the Caribbean the salt content was too high. You had to put on extra weights to dive under the water.
When he finally jumped in he was stunned, for many reasons; foremost, that he was in the water, he wasn’t sinking, and more importantly, he was getting a glimpse of a world that he had never even considered until now. He has always been grateful for the little push I had given him to get in the water that day.
We played in the water for over four hours before we began to get a tired. We got out and had lunch. We decided to start heading back to the Base around 2:30 P.M. We packed up our gear and very reluctantly left this beautiful place. We first stopped for a swim in the, (freshwater), river to rinse all the salt off. Then started on our way. We had not driven more than ten miles when the car began to sputter and stall. We restarted it a few times but eventually it stopped for good.
We sat there for about twenty minutes denying the truth and tried to start the engine but it was futile. Finally, we accepted the inevitable, the car would not start and we were stuck. We were about 60 miles from the base. Blaine and Sherri had decided to take the bus back to the Base and get their other car come back and tow this car back to Base. Joe and I were going to stay with the Bug to watch it and our stuff.
The bus trip was no small feat. They had to wait for the next bus to Colon, the major city on the Caribbean coast; they made round trips to Portobello each hour. Then they had to catch the bus to Panama City, and then switch to a bus going to the Base, pick up their other car, assuming it starts, and drive back to get us. We estimated that all this would take about three hours. It was actually closer to seven hours. They boarded the bus to Colon at around 3:00 P.M.
Now the real story of this was about to begin.
The road had turned inland, a few miles from the coast to a small village of several hundred where the car had stalled. It had become very cloudy and the wonderful breeze we experienced at the coast was gone. We became acutely aware of the hordes of mosquitoes that suddenly were everywhere. In the village the people had started several fires in 50-gallon drums. They called them smudge pots. They produced very thick voluminous plumes of smoke that were intended to drive the mosquitoes away.
Our situation was deteriorating rapidly. To this day I have no idea what they were burning. There was no good choice. If we stood outside, we were exposed to the smoke and mosquitoes that did not seem to be affected as much as we were by the smoke. We could have sat in the Bug, which we did for about ten minutes. It was a very confined space especially since we had to keep the window shut to keep out the smoke and bugs. It got very stuffy so we chose to stand outside.
We resigned ourselves to become the evening meal of the mosquitoes. Hopefully they were not harboring one of the many infectious diseases that mosquitoes are known to.
We had stood outside for nearly twenty minutes. The smoke was as irritating as the mosquitoes. They must have been burning a distant relative of poison ivy. The smoke was stinging our eyes and making our skin itch. At this point, we were beginning to understand what motivated people to consider suicide as an escape from reality.
Suddenly we noticed a man walking towards us, coming from the village. He greeted us as he walked past. He was walking towards an old yellow school bus that was parked a few hundred feet from where we were. We had not even noticed the bus before now.
This man, who was quite a bit shorter than Joe or me, appeared to be a weight lifter. He came over to us and asked us what we were doing there. Once he heard our story he asked us if we wanted to go and sit inside the bus since he was the driver. We quickly accepted. Anything was better than our present situation. Or at least we thought so. It was now 4:15 P.M.
Inside the bus was not that bad at first. We were out of the direct path of the smoke, but more importantly we had refuge from the mosquitoes. Our host, who ignored us most of the time as far as trying to keep up conversation with us, was very impressed with his physical stature. He must have believed that we were also.
During the next several hours, while we waited for our friends to return, our host proceed to go through several hundred of the Mr. Universe poses. He never said anything but just glared at us seemingly challenging us. After the first fifteen minutes the bus started to steam up, we alternately opened and closed windows to attempt to change the air without allowing the smoke or bugs in.
The interior of the bus was turning into a sauna. It had become very dark and cloudy, threatening to rain, as it only does in the tropical rainforest, the sky turns almost black, and it really pours. This only enhanced the sauna-affect. Geographically we were on the north coast of Panama, which receives at least twice as much rain as we did on the Pacific coast. It was now around 5:00 P.M., it was pitch-black outside due to the rain clouds.
This was a chance for us to open the windows to get some fresh air into the bus. The rain had temporarily chased off the mosquitoes. And the fires had been covered so they were smoldering, waiting for the rain to stop. It did after about thirty minutes, almost immediately the sauna-affect intensified, like after you throw water onto the hot rocks to increase the humidity. We quickly shut the windows. The mosquitoes must have just hidden under the bus, they came back with a vengeance. The smoke was quick to follow.
We began to believe that our friends had deserted us. We shared some of the food we had left with our host, it was mostly snacks, but it was something.
It was almost 7:00 P.M. Three buses had passed from Colon and several local ones and quite a few other vehicles. We could only guess at what stage of their journey our friends were at. All we could do was hope that they were all right and still coming back for us, and their car.
We could not see very much of the road from where we were, it took sharp turn just after it passed us so we could not see a vehicle until it was almost on top of us. Since it had become dark this was even more difficult. There actually were a lot more vehicles going by than I would have thought.
It was 8:45 P.M., we had experienced almost five hours of hell. I’m sure we both lost close to ten pounds just from sweating. We had run out of snacks and soda. We did not dare to drink the water from the village well. God only knew what microbes and bacteria were multiplying in it.
Blaine and Sherri finally came back around 9:30 P.M. Believe it or not their second car was smaller than the Bug. It was a NASH/AUSTIN Metropolitan.
Joe and I thanked our host who ever he was. I believe he was assigned to watch over us to make sure we did not bother their village. I made a silent pledge, never to go on a school bus again.
We were very thankful to be rescued from the bus. They had a chain with them, it only took a few minutes to hook up the Bug then we were off. It took about two hours to get back to the Base. Joe and I raced to get into a hot shower and wash all the smoke and mosquitoes off of us. I think we burned the clothes we had had on.
The best part of this day though, was that Joe overcame his lifelong fear of water and has enjoyed water sports ever since.

Condolence Messages

Siham Azar Choueiry

October 28, 2012 at 3:58 am

We are so sorry for your loss… from lebanon / Beirut
Tom and Lydia Gainor

November 26, 2012 at 7:52 pm

We are very sorry for your loss. Our deepest condolences.Joe was a great person. Many Blessings to your Family. Sincerely, Tom and Lydia Gainor.
Jim & Alida O'Leary

December 23, 2012 at 11:32 pm

Joe was our dear friend, we loved him like a brother.
JOE’S STORY

We had planned to go snorkeling on the Caribbean Coast near Portobello for over a week. As Saturday morning arrived, Joe and I were up and had breakfast by 5:30 A.M. I double- checked our gear, I had my Jet-Fins, (these were an oversized extra-long, very powerful set of diving fins), my old pair of high-top sneakers to support the fins, my mask and snorkel. I had also borrowed several set of snorkeling gear from some friends so that everyone would be well equipped.
Blaine and Sherri picked us up at 6:00 A.M. sharp at our barracks. We stuffed our gear in their VW Bug. Joe and I had a difficult time getting comfortable though, since both Joe and I are over six-feet tall. It was a snug fit but we were determined to be comfortable. We had to be; it was nearly a two-hour ride to the opposite side of Panama and up the coast towards Portobello.
We made several stops along the way. The rainforest was a beautiful place and there were several scenic spots. One in particular, very near the geographical center of the isthmus, had a waterfall that was only 20-30 feet high, but was spread out like a trailing bridal gown. It was approximately 100 feet wide. The moss that had grown under the water was a brilliant Malachite green which contrasted sharply with the very deep almost Kelly green of the surrounding forest.
I loved this spot. There was a small covered picnic table there. Under the arched roof a very large, (10 inches), white tarantula had built its nest or web. I always liked observing people’s reaction to this. It went from shock to fear to admiration. I was in Panama for almost three years and every time I stopped there the spider was always there.
Finally, we had seen enough, we were getting anxious to get out the warmth of the dense almost claustrophobic rainforest into the wide-open breezy coast.
When we finally arrived at the coast it was almost 9:00 A.M. The local Indians here were very friendly, they greeted us as we passed through their village the population of which was only 300-400. Even though I did not know them by name, they recognized me since I made several trips a week to go diving. I had permission to park anywhere as long as the car was off the road. The Locals had reassured me, that no one would ever disturb any of my stuff. I felt very safe there.
We picked a spot just beyond one of the many banana plantations; the bananas were in season and smelled delicious, just like freshly made banana pudding. You could park, walk down the embankment, cross 10-15 feet of ankle-deep water on top of a coral reef, then jump into the water on the edge of a 90-100 foot deep coral reef, that went on for miles in both directions. This was one of our, (my friends and I), favorite spots to dive or snorkel. The Edge, as we called it went on for 5 or 6 miles along the coast leading into the protected port of Portobello, (this word means; beautiful port), which was about 3 miles further up the coast.
This day had the perfect combination of cloudless sky and the complete lack of wind. This created spectacularly clear water. Even though the water is always clear during the dry season the constant blowing of the Trade Winds really churns up the water and the debris from the coral reefs make the water very cloudy. This also creates a hazardous situation, where you can get tossed around and thrown against the coral reef. Today was in the middle of the Rainy Season; an approximately 5-6 month period from April to November, when it would rain at least once a day. But like everything else in Panama, the amount of daily rain varied depending on where in Panama you were. The Caribbean Coast near Portobello receives close to 200 inches of rain a year.
Portobello was a very popular spot during the 1500 – 1800’s. It was a favorite hangout of the pirates, and there are several sunken ships in the area to go down and visit if you dare. The Outer Reef that separates the coast from the open ocean was about 1- 2 miles offshore. This kept most of the large predatory fish away from the coast. There were still a few barracuda which deserve a lot of respect.
During the Rainy season there is at times no surf what so ever and the tidal change is very minimal, this causes the water to remain very calm almost placid. This contributes greatly to clarity of the water.
As I jumped in I was thoroughly amazed at the clarity of the water. I came out very quickly and told everyone just how spectacular it was.
I have neglected to say that this was a very special day for another reason. Until this day my friend Joe had been afraid of water, he had never learned to swim. It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to believe that a person just cannot sink in the Caribbean the salt content was too high. You had to put on extra weights to dive under the water.
When he finally jumped in he was stunned, for many reasons; foremost, that he was in the water, he wasn’t sinking, and more importantly, he was getting a glimpse of a world that he had never even considered until now. He has always been grateful for the little push I had given him to get in the water that day.
We played in the water for over four hours before we began to get a tired. We got out and had lunch. We decided to start heading back to the Base around 2:30 P.M. We packed up our gear and very reluctantly left this beautiful place. We first stopped for a swim in the, (freshwater), river to rinse all the salt off. Then started on our way. We had not driven more than ten miles when the car began to sputter and stall. We restarted it a few times but eventually it stopped for good.
We sat there for about twenty minutes denying the truth and tried to start the engine but it was futile. Finally, we accepted the inevitable, the car would not start and we were stuck. We were about 60 miles from the base. Blaine and Sherri had decided to take the bus back to the Base and get their other car come back and tow this car back to Base. Joe and I were going to stay with the Bug to watch it and our stuff.
The bus trip was no small feat. They had to wait for the next bus to Colon, the major city on the Caribbean coast; they made round trips to Portobello each hour. Then they had to catch the bus to Panama City, and then switch to a bus going to the Base, pick up their other car, assuming it starts, and drive back to get us. We estimated that all this would take about three hours. It was actually closer to seven hours. They boarded the bus to Colon at around 3:00 P.M.
Now the real story of this was about to begin.
The road had turned inland, a few miles from the coast to a small village of several hundred where the car had stalled. It had become very cloudy and the wonderful breeze we experienced at the coast was gone. We became acutely aware of the hordes of mosquitoes that suddenly were everywhere. In the village the people had started several fires in 50-gallon drums. They called them smudge pots. They produced very thick voluminous plumes of smoke that were intended to drive the mosquitoes away.
Our situation was deteriorating rapidly. To this day I have no idea what they were burning. There was no good choice. If we stood outside, we were exposed to the smoke and mosquitoes that did not seem to be affected as much as we were by the smoke. We could have sat in the Bug, which we did for about ten minutes. It was a very confined space especially since we had to keep the window shut to keep out the smoke and bugs. It got very stuffy so we chose to stand outside.
We resigned ourselves to become the evening meal of the mosquitoes. Hopefully they were not harboring one of the many infectious diseases that mosquitoes are known to.
We had stood outside for nearly twenty minutes. The smoke was as irritating as the mosquitoes. They must have been burning a distant relative of poison ivy. The smoke was stinging our eyes and making our skin itch. At this point, we were beginning to understand what motivated people to consider suicide as an escape from reality.
Suddenly we noticed a man walking towards us, coming from the village. He greeted us as he walked past. He was walking towards an old yellow school bus that was parked a few hundred feet from where we were. We had not even noticed the bus before now.
This man, who was quite a bit shorter than Joe or me, appeared to be a weight lifter. He came over to us and asked us what we were doing there. Once he heard our story he asked us if we wanted to go and sit inside the bus since he was the driver. We quickly accepted. Anything was better than our present situation. Or at least we thought so. It was now 4:15 P.M.
Inside the bus was not that bad at first. We were out of the direct path of the smoke, but more importantly we had refuge from the mosquitoes. Our host, who ignored us most of the time as far as trying to keep up conversation with us, was very impressed with his physical stature. He must have believed that we were also.
During the next several hours, while we waited for our friends to return, our host proceed to go through several hundred of the Mr. Universe poses. He never said anything but just glared at us seemingly challenging us. After the first fifteen minutes the bus started to steam up, we alternately opened and closed windows to attempt to change the air without allowing the smoke or bugs in.
The interior of the bus was turning into a sauna. It had become very dark and cloudy, threatening to rain, as it only does in the tropical rainforest, the sky turns almost black, and it really pours. This only enhanced the sauna-affect. Geographically we were on the north coast of Panama, which receives at least twice as much rain as we did on the Pacific coast. It was now around 5:00 P.M., it was pitch-black outside due to the rain clouds.
This was a chance for us to open the windows to get some fresh air into the bus. The rain had temporarily chased off the mosquitoes. And the fires had been covered so they were smoldering, waiting for the rain to stop. It did after about thirty minutes, almost immediately the sauna-affect intensified, like after you throw water onto the hot rocks to increase the humidity. We quickly shut the windows. The mosquitoes must have just hidden under the bus, they came back with a vengeance. The smoke was quick to follow.
We began to believe that our friends had deserted us. We shared some of the food we had left with our host, it was mostly snacks, but it was something.
It was almost 7:00 P.M. Three buses had passed from Colon and several local ones and quite a few other vehicles. We could only guess at what stage of their journey our friends were at. All we could do was hope that they were all right and still coming back for us, and their car.
We could not see very much of the road from where we were, it took sharp turn just after it passed us so we could not see a vehicle until it was almost on top of us. Since it had become dark this was even more difficult. There actually were a lot more vehicles going by than I would have thought.
It was 8:45 P.M., we had experienced almost five hours of hell. I’m sure we both lost close to ten pounds just from sweating. We had run out of snacks and soda. We did not dare to drink the water from the village well. God only knew what microbes and bacteria were multiplying in it.
Blaine and Sherri finally came back around 9:30 P.M. Believe it or not their second car was smaller than the Bug. It was a NASH/AUSTIN Metropolitan.
Joe and I thanked our host who ever he was. I believe he was assigned to watch over us to make sure we did not bother their village. I made a silent pledge, never to go on a school bus again.
We were very thankful to be rescued from the bus. They had a chain with them, it only took a few minutes to hook up the Bug then we were off. It took about two hours to get back to the Base. Joe and I raced to get into a hot shower and wash all the smoke and mosquitoes off of us. I think we burned the clothes we had had on.
The best part of this day though, was that Joe overcame his lifelong fear of water and has enjoyed water sports ever since.
Jason D. Beach

October 6, 2014 at 10:05 am

I want to thank his family, though you may never read this due to it being 2 years after his passing. To me Joseph was an instructor, mentor, and friend. When I first came to Phoenix, I heard whispers of his greatness, almost like he was already a legend. One day I finally grew the courage to approach him and ask if I could listen to his life story and accomplishments. I still have the recording to this day. His words were so precisely chosen, I could visualize the stories. I asked his favorites and dislikes, and everything in between. I then tried to fit all this in words on a page, I failed, his life was to grand to sum up in just words. When I got the phone call of his passing, I couldn’t believe it, I could only cry. I was not able to attend the services, I was in Texas at the time. I wish I could have been there to meet his family and friends. To hear more stories, and meet the people from the ones I had heard. I miss you Chef, I know your cooking up a storm somewhere. Good Bye my friend.

Chef Jason D. Beach

EID, JOSEPH KARIM

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