CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - Whether it was hanging out with family or holding his one year old daughter, Alex Marquez always seemed to have a smile.
"Alex was a caring person. He just had a huge heart. He always brought laughter to a room," said Carlos Marquez, Owner and Head Chef at Indigo Crow.
Carlos Marquez says his brother Alex, who was a technical engineer with GoDaddy, also had a passion for cooking, so he hired his brother to help him out at the restaurant.
"This was his second passion, his second love," Carlos said.
On Oct. 12, on just his first day on the job, something went severely wrong. Alex opened a boiling kettle of water that then exploded, burning 80 percent of his body.
On Oct. 25, after multiple surgeries, Alex passed away from his burns. The 36-year-old father left behind his wife, a 1-year-old daughter and lifetime of good memories.
A picture hangs inside the Indigo Crow was taken shortly before the accident happened .
"That picture was actually taken not even an hour before the incident happened," Carlos said. "It was myself in the middle and Alex is in the middle wearing the CCBC shirt. Esteban is on the right. It’s the last time the three brothers were together."
What Carlos wants people to learn from his brother’s death is be careful when around dangerous things in the kitchen, especially this holiday season.
But, more importantly, never take for granted the time you have with your loved ones because you never know when their beautiful smile will be gone.
"He was my best friend and my brother," Carlos said. "I will miss everything, his character and his life. I'm still searching for answers."
This Saturday Nov. 17, the Indigo Crow will have a memorial fundraiser for Alex from 4-8 p.m. at the restaurant with live music, food and beer. The proceeds will go to offset some of the medical expenses. Those are now in the thousands of dollars because of the multiple surgeries.