Outreach Specialist Juan Tapia dies at 41

Juan Javier Tapia, a Southwestern College outreach specialist, died August 10 of a heart attack at his home in Bonita. He was 41.

Tapia was described by his coworkers as personable and generous, and a talented outreach specialist who worked well with the Sweetwater Union High School District.

Director of Admissions and Records Nicolas Montez said Tapia loved his community. “Juan was a fantastic ambassador for SWC and a great person,” said Montez.

“He was always out in the community and attending special events like the Lemon Festival to promote the school. Juan had a passion for assisting students, he wanted to see them succeed and would go out of his way to help them.”

Erick Parga, a data software specialist in the Admissions and Records office, said he was a good friend of Tapia. On a Monday morning, Tapia did not show for work and did not call in sick. Parga went to Tapia’s home during lunch and called for an ambulance when he failed to answer the door.

Paramedics discovered that Tapia had died from heart failure. Parga said that he was devastated.

“As soon as you met him,” said Parga. “You were his friend right away. We work together, but we also did a lot of stuff after work. We were on the same softball team and we did a lot of fishing.”

Parga said that Tapia loved sports, but he loved to eat even more.

“We never missed a lunch,” he said. “Juan introduced me to a lot of new kinds of food. He got me into Vietnamese pho and Thai food, which I would have never have tried without him.”

Tapia played softball, competed in fantasy football leagues and enjoyed fishing at the beach, said Parga.

On the Friday before his death, Tapia shared a meal with his friends and coworkers from admissions at the Mexican restaurant Papagallos where Tapia was a regular. Tapia was known for his generosity and it was not surprising that he treated everyone by paying for the entire meal, said Parga.

Parga said that Tapia was like a brother.

“He was always around if you needed help and he was always there to bail you out,” said Parga. “Juan was always available and if not he’d make time to be around his friends and family. What I’ll remember the most about him is our trips to TJ to get tacos or look around for new places to eat. Sometimes we’d even catch a movie.”

Montez said Tapia was a great employee and a great teammate who helped and supported his coworkers.

“He’s the kind of person you meet and never forget,” he said.