One Sunday early in the morning, the veterinarian José Leyva, left this world and given his religiosity and the rectitude of his life, he surrendered to the Heavenly Father for Eternal bliss. It was Pepe Leyva, as he...
One Sunday early in the morning, the veterinarian José Leyva,
left this world and given his religiosity and the rectitude of his life, he surrendered to the
Heavenly Father for Eternal bliss.
It was Pepe Leyva, as we friends called him, a friendly, serious person,
hardworking, honest. During the second half of the 20th century, he settled on the island
of Lanzarote forever, never returning to his native land, Córdoba.
In Lanzarote he took professional roots. A great connoisseur of the animals
of the land, camels, fighting cocks, goats, etc. He dedicated himself with zeal to
protecting
our
livestock
herd.
I still remember seeing him in San Bartolomé castrating pigs, something he
also did next to the Arrecife Market and the grunts of the little animals were
heard with astonishment in the adjacent Primary Schools of the
Marina. He worked as a Municipal veterinarian, which he shared with the care of the
animals in the Arrecife Military Barracks, as a Professor at the Middle School of
Fishing, in the sardine factories, in the flour mill, a whole accumulation that
earned him great professional respect.
He felt like a father to the new generations of veterinarians. He
guided them, collaborated, it gave me the impression that he was proud that a
Lanzarotean pleiad chose his profession, which he deeply loved.
A friend of the house, he always guided one of
my daughters, a veterinarian, with great enthusiasm and affection.
He was lucky that, despite being alone in the world, one of these
veterinarians extended a friendly hand to him in his last days, Ana Sofía, and
provided him with affectionate attention in every way, feeling sheltered and
loved.
I felt the need to give my testimony to this veterinarian who was part
of the history of an Arrecife, which is now behind us, we no longer have sardine
factories, or flour factories, or Recoba, or Primary Schools nearby, or
animal
herd.
I needed to give my testimony, as he was part of the History of an
Arrecife, which is now behind us. Everything is history and Pepe the "veterinarian" was part of that
History. Thank you José Leyva, for your friendship and your good work, you have not only
entered our hearts but you have also entered the History of
Lanzarote. R.I.P.
Forever.
Remedios Quintana Reyes
