José Soler

José Soler was known by friends and family for speaking truth to power — and never forgetting to weave humor into his speeches.

Born in New York City in 1945, the proud Puerto Rican Soler was a photographer, labor journalist and academic who dedicated his life to an array of social justice causes. For two decades he headed the Labor Education Center at UMass Dartmouth.

Soler died in late April of respiratory failure. A COVID-19 test came up negative, but Soler's children say it’s clear that his care was impacted by the outbreak. According to family, a week before he died, Soler called his doctor for an appointment and a COVID-19 test, and the doctor told him to stay home. A week later, Soler could barely breathe, and by the time he got to the hospital, it was too late to save him.

He was 74. His death was attributed to pneumonia.