Ozámiz was born on May 5, 1898 to Jenaro Ozámiz from Navarre, Spain and Basilisa Fortich, a Filipino mestizo of Spanish and Cebuano ancestry. Jenaro left Spain at age sixteen and came to Moran, then ended up at the Municipality of Jimenez and engaged in the business of abacá and copra trading which made him very rich, acquiring through the years 3.55 km² in tile province and 10 km² ranch in Bukidnon. José spoke his first languages Spanish, Cebuano, Tagalog and English when Philippines came under American rule.