| Graduation Year | Class of 1964 |
| Date of Birth | Sep 28, 1945 |
| Date of Passing | Dec 18, 2023 |
| About | Longtime Chino resident, teacher and basketball coach Joseph Luis Murillo (nee José Luis), or “Joe” or “Coach” or “Dad” or “TÍo Joe” or “Mr. Murillo” or “Murillo” or “abuelo,” as he was affectionately known to countless family members, teammates, students, friends, players, and grandkids, passed away on December 18, 2023, surrounded by his family. Joe was a deeply proud and loving father to five children, grandfather to five, father-in-law to three, uncle to 14, husband, and friend, teacher, coach, surrogate father figure, motivator, and champion to many more. He was also a beloved sibling to four sisters and one brother. Joe was born in El Refugio, Zacatecas, Mexico on September 18, 1945. In 1955, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Chino where Joe attended local public schools and graduated from Chino High School in 1965. As a young man, Joe showed preternatural skill for virtually any game that requires hand-eye coordination, but he particularly excelled at basketball. A lanky point guard who sometimes jumped center (!), Joe's team’s home games often drew large crowds and are the stuff of legend. In 1963 and 1964, he led his team to two Tri-County League Championships and a CIF playoff run. The Chino High gymnasium floor was dedicated to Joe and his high school basketball coach, Frank Elder, and bears their names. Joe’s earliest jobs in Chino involved organizing recreational play for local kids, including many who would remain friends through adulthood. As a teenager, Joe ran summer recreational programs at Richard Gird Elementary School for nearly 150 children per day, and later worked maintaining the Little League baseball fields. Joe’s adoration for Chino, talent for motivating young people through sport and otherwise, and enthusiasm for facilitating Chino kids’ access to higher education continued throughout his life. Joe went on to play basketball for Mt. San Antonio College and Cal Poly Pomona, graduating in 1972 after marrying his first wife and mother of his four oldest children, Virginia “Kathy” Tupper. He started teaching biology at Chino High School in 1974, which included science classes for English-language learners. Outside of regular school hours, he taught generations of teenagers how to drive as a Driver Training instructor. For a time, he could often be found working the ticket booth at Chino High football games. After a brief stint coaching boys’ basketball, Joe became the coach of the Chino High women’s team in 1978 and spearheaded what would become a powerhouse program renowned in Southern California. Joe led the team to their first CIF championship in 1981, followed by two more in 1986 and 1988. He won 559 games; made one state championship, five CIF championship, and 24 CIF playoff appearances; and won 17 league championships over his nearly 30-year career as head coach. In the later part of his career, Joe coached alongside Diane Vaughan, his second wife and mother of his youngest child. Joe continued to coach basketball in retirement, including the Chaffey College women’s program and the Chino High men’s program. In 2010 Joe was inducted into the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame; in 2015, the Chino Valley USD Richard Gird Hall of Fame; and in 2022, the CIF-Southern Section Hall of Fame. Most importantly, he inspired hundreds of students and athletes to seek higher education. Joe had a profound impact on those who knew him, perhaps most especially the generations of young people who benefitted from his guidance. Put differently, as a dear friend recently quipped, “Joe was Chino.” Of all his accomplishments, Joe was most proud of his wife, children and family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jesús Ocon and Dolores Sandoval. He is survived and will be endlessly missed by Diane, his wife of 18 years; children Serena (Christian), Joel (Katie), Tansy, Tiana (Paul), and Matthew; and grandchildren Eva, Lucia, Gianna, Santiago, and Lila. A funeral mass will be held on January 5, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church located at 12686 Central Ave, Chino, CA 91710. A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held on January 28th, 2024 at noon at the Chino High School gymnasium. |
| Events | Celebration of Life at Chino HS new gym Sunday, January, 28th at noon |
