Juan Ordonez

Juan was born and raised in Peru. He moved to the US at the age of 13. Although he was raised away from his family, he held on to his desire to succeed and strive for a better future for himself and his family as a professional. He lacked some of the advantages that others may have had, but rather than dwelling on the difficulties of his circumstances, he worked hard and focused on taking the right steps towards a brighter future, and to set an example for his daughter.     Juan was passionate about computers from a very young age. He always told the story about how he spent his very first paycheck on his first computer. With perseverance and great sacrifice, working full time and attending college part-time, Juan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, just a month after his daughter Mia was born. The degree provided him with new opportunities to move up the ranks at a medical technology company where he had worked for about 20 years. He started as a warehouse worker and, pursuing his dream, attended Dover Business College for PC Support & Network Administration and, as result, was able to join the technical support department. With his hard work and leadership, Juan was promoted to lead the technical support department. After obtaining his BA degree, he moved into the company’s IT team and specialized in Information Security.     Juan later joined UPS in January of 2019 as a Senior InfoSec Analyst and was promoted to Lead InfoSec Analyst after 9 months. He was responsible for performing risk assessments in IT systems. Juan was very driven and continued to develop his technical knowledge and skills by pursuing many highly recognized, and challenging, IT certifications, including Cisco CCNA R&S, CompTIA Security+, ISC2 SSCP, CCSP, and CISSP. He was also a member of the local NJ chapters of the international professional associations focused on IT governance and cybersecurity ISACA and ISC2. Juan joined UPS’s Crecer Business Resource Group (BRG) and took on the role of Chair for UPS Career Connections, with the intention to help others grow professionally and find their career path. Juan was committed to a life of growth and learning that shined until his last days.     In the week leading up to his exhibition of COVID symptoms Juan was promoted to a manager role in Information Security at UPS and passed his ISACA CRISC certification exam.     Juan devoted his life to his family. He did everything in his power to put a smile on our faces and to spend quality time making memories. He loved soccer (Peru and Crystal), travel, technology, comedy, rock en Espanol, movies (especially MARVEL, Star Wars, and DC Comics movies), dancing, reading action novels, and the beach. Juan was kind, funny, lighthearted, joyful, and caring. He lived his life from his heart, without regrets, always with a smile, and with love for all those around him. His faith was very important to him and at the center of everything he did.     As a father to Mia, his 5-year-old daughter, he was completely hands-on. Juan participated in everything from changing diapers, brushing teeth, brushing hair, potty training, volunteering at school functions, nighttime feedings, and taking care of Mia full time when I had to travel for work. Juan did anything he could to put a smile on Mia’s face, including playing with dolls, playing make-believe, playing cards, playing all the games Mia could think of, singing, dancing, being silly, finding fun and unique learning experiences for her (including zoos, aquariums, museums, parks, LEGO land, movies, and more). Mia misses him and remembers him dearly. She talks about his smile, his hugs, and playing with her “favorite boy in the whole world.” She always tells Papi that she loves him so much and she’ll never stop.     Juan was an incredibly special person that touched many lives. He left an imprint in the hearts of those he touched and inspired many acts of kindness from the relationships he fostered. He was an exceptional husband, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin, friend, colleague, mentor, and so much more.