Ruben Jesus Ortega, age 25, of Jennings, FL. passed away unexpectedly at his home on Wednesday, December 21, 2016. Ruben was born in Lake City, FL. on August 15, 1991 and lived most all of his life in Hamilton County, FL. Ruben was a gentle giant. His mere size would frighten you but once you knew him, he was just a big kid at heart. He loved to do things boys do. He loved to swim and ride horses or just sit around the fire pit with family and friends and talk about "the good times". He, like most men, loved his mother with all of his heart and spent much of his time with his brothers and sisters. Ruben could be counted on to make sure things got done. Sadly he suffered many tragedies in recent years with the untimely deaths of two brothers, Procoro Ortega and Jaime Ortega as well as the death of his father Guadalupe Ortega, but as expected he took the deaths like a man and stood in the gap and held his mother up. Ruben proudly served his community as a correctional officer at Hamilton Correctional Institution. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Survivors include his mother, Pureza Ortega, Jennings, FL.; three brothers, Manuel and his wife Manuela of Mexico, Guadalupe Jr. and his wife Hope of Statenville, GA. and Gavino and his wife Kaitlyn of Madison, FL.; four sisters, Eloina Ortega, Jennings, FL.; Nina Conception and her husband Jose of Jennings, Emilia Weldon and her husband Michael of Valdosta, GA. and Maria Brown and her husband Fletcher of Pinetta. Also surviving are friends (like brothers) Alberto Lopez and Philip Lopez and special friends, Brittany Wheeler and Brittany Bracewell.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016 in the chapel of Harry T. Reid Funeral Home in Jasper, FL. with Jackie Watts officiating. Interment followed in Evergreen Cemetery, Jasper.