Helped others to the end

His sister said he was that go-to guy. Mr. I’ll-take-care-of-it.

Until his last waking moments, as his family understands, Clinton “C.J.” Hubbard was doing what he always did, being one of the good guys out there helping someone else.

“He was always there. He put people above himself. Putting other people in front of himself may be the reason this happened,” said Hubbard’s sister, Jessica Johnson, 28.

Hubbard, 27, was fatally punched outside the Code restaurant, 4221 Dolphin Striker Way, in the early morning of Thanksgiving Day.

It was about 1:40 a.m. when Hubbard, people close to him said, confronted a man who may have been arguing with a woman. Hubbard didn’t know them, his sister said.

The man punched Hubbard on the side of the head, bursting a blood vessel in his brain, she said.

He was rushed to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and declared brain dead. With his family by his bedside, and with their permission, doctors took Hubbard off life support at 10:30 p.m. Friday. He died soon after.

“The outpouring of love has blown us away. People that we don’t even know their names are saying they’ll live their lives like C.J.,” Johnson said.

People from all over the country and different parts of Hubbard’s life are coming to Southern California to pay their respects.

“Even his second-grade girlfriend, it’s unbelievable,” Johnson said.

Hubbard was the little brother who still looked after his older sister.

On Wednesday, Johnson said she called her little brother and asked for help on her computer.

“He said he’d help me over the weekend. I always thought about him and thought, ‘Yes, thank God there’s C.J.’”

Hubbard was that kind of guy who excelled at whatever he tried, friends and family said. At 5 feet 10, he was undersized for a basketball player, but his drive carried him above the rest.

“He was a bit of a bulldog. He carried that into his business life. He always wanted to have the best deal for his clients and challenged himself,” said Jeff Manley, chief executive of CresaPartners in Newport Beach, where Hubbard worked as a senior analyst. “He wasn’t afraid to say something when it was wrong. He stood his ground and made his point.”

Hubbard graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School, where he served as class president. He went on to UCLA and graduated from its business school. He then began his career with CresaPartners.

“He meant the world to me and so many. Life is empty without him for me, for everyone, forever,” Johnson said. “I hope that we can find the man responsible for this tragedy. He ran away. He may not even know the suffering he has caused. We pray for justice and the peace we all deserve.”

The Code is cooperating with the investigation, owner Moe Ghazi said.

He said security cameras on the property have not been working for a month, so they have no video from that night.

Police urge anyone who may have information about the incident to call them. Tips can be left anonymously. If you have information, call (800) 550-NBPD or Det. Joe Cartwright at (949) 644-3781.

Public services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at San Francisco Solano Catholic Church, 22082 Antonio Parkway, in Rancho Santa Margarita.