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Dr. Jose Antonio Santos
Dr. Jose Antonio Santos of Southampton died surrounded by family on November 10. He was 84.
Born in Spain in 1939, Santos lived a life of deep faith, striving to love God, family and neighbor with each moment of every day, according to his family.
The first of four children born to loving parents in rural Spain, he experienced the hardships prevalent after the Civil War, but rose up to be one of the top students at the Medical College of Seville.
As a young doctor, he met the love of his life, Carmen, with whom he shared 57 years of marriage and unwavering dedication. Santos’s journey brought him to America as a Fulbright scholar, where he studied psychiatry and psychoanalysis with the greatest minds of the time. Known for his sincerity and warmth, he made a lasting impact at all of his places of work, his family said. Throughout his professional life, he dedicated himself to the care of countless patients, often providing his services regardless of their ability to pay.
He was a daily communicant at his parishes of St. Joseph in Garden City, Corpus Christi in Mineola, Our Lady of Poland in Southampton, and St. Rosalie in Hampton Bays. His love for his family was matched only by his love for the work of God, his family said, becoming a supernumerary member of Opus Dei and practicing the selfless generosity he was known for.
Evenings would find Santos engrossed in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, or any of his many favorite philosophers, or sharing music and poetry with his wife, family and friends.
He was often sought out for his wise counsel by those of great importance, his family said, yet he gave great importance to every soul that confided in him. Every family wedding or celebration would find expectant eyes fixed on him for a speech or toast, and he never blushed at tempering a celebration with a sobering, but noble truth. His son’s wedding saw a discourse on struggle, an Easter dinner, the expected resurrection of our lost loved ones.
He is survived by his wife Carmen; his children, Tony, Manuel, Elisa and Francisco; and 12 grandchildren.
A wake will be held on Friday, November 17, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Brockett Funeral Home. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 18, at 11 a.m. at the Parish of St. Rosalie in Hampton Bays.
Staff Writer on Nov 14, 2023