Nereo Tovar  beloved father, grandfather, uncle ,brother, and friend passed away peacefully on June 16, 2025, in Fresno, California, at the age of 80.

Born in San Isidro Nuevo León , Nereo immigrated to Parlier, California, at the age of 12. By the age of 16 he was working alongside his family in the fields, picking peaches and plums under the Central Valley sun. With a tireless work ethic and a dream of something greater, he moved to Oakland at 19 and began cooking at Pepe's, a Mexican restaurant in the Broadway-MacArthur Shopping Center.

By the age of 20, Nereo had saved enough money to purchase the Red Skillet in Montclair. He transformed it into the very first Señor Nero's a vibrant, welcoming restaurant that quickly became a local favorite. His love for food and people fueled the opening of additional Señor Nereo's locations in Selma, Oakland, Orinda, and Lafayette.

Nereo's talent and curiosity led him to explore French cuisine, cooking in Montclair and investing in the very buildings that housed his restaurants. His entrepreneurial success eventually extended into real estate, where he bought, sold, and rented homes throughout the region.

Later in life, Nereo returned to Parlier to care for his aging mother. After her passing, he shifted his focus toward service, becoming a drug and alcohol counselor at Nuestra Casa house in Fresno. With compassion, honesty, and a gift for connecting with people, he touched and helped countless lives.

Nereo was preceded in death by his parents, Hilario and Maria Gonzales Tovar, and by his beloved son, Jovani Tovar. He is survived by his daughters, Tanya Tovar and Krizia Quintana; his grandchildren, Ella Fiber, Cole Fiber, Jovani Quintana, and Valentina Quintana; and a large extended family of siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He will be remembered for his incredible storytelling, contagious laughter, entrepreneurial spirit, and boundless generosity. Nereo lived fully, loved deeply, and left an unforgettable legacy in every life he touched.