Grace Valencia

Grace Valencia, 80, passed away Wednesday evening, March 25, 2015 at her daughters home in Pomona, California with her family by her side. She was born on November 9, 1934 in El Paso, Texas to Crescencio and Luz Valdez. On November 11, 1954 Grace married Pablo Valencia in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the couple had four children Paul, Ralph, Irma, and Grace.



Grace grew up in El Paso, Texas and lived there for the first few years of married life. Shortly after Grace and Pablo were married and their son Paul was born, Pablo went to California for a job opportunity. During this time, Pablo and Grace faithfully wrote letters to each other; love letters which are treasured by Graces family to this day. After Pablo was established in California, Grace and little Paul headed west and the expanding Valencia family settled into their beautiful home in Whittier, California where they lived for over 50 years.



Grace loved her family and her home became the hub for all the family activity. She was a very devoted mother and had an open door policy with her children and their friends. Whether it was having a dance party in her home or just having enough tortillas, beans and salsa for everyone who stopped by, her home was always welcomingand you would never leave hungry! She always hosted bar-b-ques and this became a family tradition for years. As Grace began to be a grandmother and great-grandmother, she became the go to babysitter for over 20 years.



For about ten years Grace worked for an organizational company producing day runners and planners. During this time, Grace developed a number of dear friends, people she kept in touch with until her death.



In her later years, Grace remained very active. She always kept dancing; her favorites to dance to were Marc Anthony and Blake Shelton, but she loved dancing no matter what. She was involved in Zumba until her late 70s and was an avid Lakers fan. One of her other favorite activities was going to beautiful resorts and casinos. She enjoyed these trips and created precious memories with her family during these times.



In 2013, Grace lost her husband and best friend Pablo to cancer. After Pablos death Grace began to spend more time with her children, though she still enjoyed life, her broken heart began to slow her down. On March 25, 2015 after several months of health decline, Grace passed away at her daughters home in Pomona, California.



She is survived by her four children: Paul (Yolanda) Valencia, Ralph (Dee) Valencia, Irma (Dave) Mogelberg, and Grace (Jody) Valencia; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; her sister Estella Espinoza and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.



A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 11:00AM at White Emerson Mortuary, 13304 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90601. A viewing will be held immediately prior to the funeral on Tuesday from 10:00AM 11:00AM. Interment will immediately follow the funeral at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, 966 Potrero Grande Rd., Montebello, CA 91770.