Overview

• Joe Minjares died July 21 at University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis at age 79 after being hospitalized with pneumonia and chronic lung illness.
• Comedians and theatre leaders including Lizz Winstead and Jack Reuler described him as a community builder whose venues Pepitos and the Parkway Theater became hubs for innovative performances.
• His screen credits spanned The Truman Show, Roseanne and ER, while his plays—The King of Kosher Grocers, Minnecanos and River Road Boogie—explored multicultural and Chicano experiences.
• After serving in Army intelligence during the Vietnam War, he and his wife Sue established Pepitos Tex-Mex in 1971 and later renovated the adjacent Parkway Theater.
• He is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and services are being planned.