Facts:   - state senate: puerto rico    - death date: 4 april 2003    - spouse: lyda cortada menendez      - term end: 1976    - children: michele and jose menendez    - term start: 1968    - birth date: june 22 , 1917    - name: josé menéndez monroig    - occupation: politician , senator   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of josé menéndez monroig .
A:
josé menéndez monroig -lrb- june 22 , 1917 -- april 4 , 2003 -rrb- was a senator in the puerto rico legislature serving from 1968 till 1976 .after the 1972 puerto rican elections carlos romero barcelo suggested that he be selected minority leader in the senate instead of justo méndez who had occupied that position in the past four years .he was one of the founders of estadistas unidos .he is a member of phi sigma alpha fraternity .he served for six years in the army , he received burial with military honors in the puerto rico national cemetery .