Josè Ferreira da Luz

Josè Ferreira da Luz, better known in this life as “Ze,” passed away at Baptist Hospital in North Little Rock, Arkansas on December 19 th , 2025, after a courageous three year battle with cancer and a recent severe respiratory infection. His passing is greatly mourned by his family here in the United States and in Brazil, many of whom were with him at his bedside in person and  electronically during his final hours.

Ze was born in the town of Curvelo, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil on November 26 th , 1957. He was the last of 10 children, born of his parents, Jacinto da Luz, father, and Raimunda Ferreira da Luz, mother, now deceased. Ze is survived by his wife of 42 years, Mara Salgado Luz, his two sons, Caio Luz (Sarah) and Caique Luz (Juliana), and his grandson, Noah, age 9, and granddaughter, Jane, age 6. His surviving siblings are his four sisters, Maria Edite Abreu, Maria Helenita da Luz Garcia, Maria Rosalia Monroe (Dan), and Maria Conceição Sigmund (Tim), and his two brothers, Eustaquio da Luz and Nonato da Luz (Marlene).

Ze was two years old when his father succumbed to tuberculosis after a protracted illness. His mother never remarried and passed away from cancer when Ze was fifteen years old. His sister, Lenita, and brother-in-law, Silvio, took him to live with them in Rio de Janeiro after his mother’s funeral in Belo Horizonte. He had a lifelong love of sleeping on a couch borne of his time with them until his marriage to Mara, eleven years later on April 9 th , 1983.

As a young couple, Ze and Mara lived in Rio where Ze trained as a mechanic, while also starting a flour distributing business and a local video rental business. There they started a family of their own with the birth of their first son, Caio, in 1987, and Caique, in 1992. Six years later, Ze, Mara, and the children immigrated to the United States, sponsored by his sister Rosalia Monroe. Ze found employment at Southern Coating and Nameplate, where he became an invaluable employee until the end, a time spanning 27 years. He loved the people he worked with and considered them family. He deeply appreciated the initial job opportunity, the years working there, and their support through the duration of his illness. His talent for fixing anything - from a grandkid’s toy, to a neighbor’s 4-wheeler, to relatives’ cars, to SCN industrial printing equipment worth millions of dollars - put him in the legendary category of the SCN family.

Zè and Mara believe the hardships they encountered immigrating to the USA - the language barrier, the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the complex government immigration system, etc. - were worth the risk, so that their children could achieve their dreams. Their dreams came true. Caio is a very successful member of the world’s global foodservice leader, Sysco Corporation, living in Sherwood, with his wife, Sarah, and two treasured children, Jane and Noah. Caique now lives in Dallas, Texas where he owns a logistics company partnered with Amazon, with a fleet of 50+ delivery vehicles. Zè loved his grandchildren and was so very proud of his sons’ accomplishments. He was grateful and happy to have been able to see and be a part of their success stories.

Family was everything to Ze, and family gatherings were his favorite activity. Sundays were always special, with family and friends at his home eating, drinking, watching futebol (soccer) on TV, playing cards and relaxing. Christmas was the best time to have large numbers of family and friends together for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, followed by gift giving after midnight. This year will not be the same without his presence, but his gift to all who knew him, his love for everyone, will be evident.