Javier A. Marquez

Javier grew up in Colton as the oldest of eight children. He was bright and curious, with a desire to learn everything. He often shared fond stories of growing up on Jefferson Lane with all his friends of various backgrounds. Frequently, he would speak of going along with his father to sell goods to farmworkers in areas like Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario. It was through experiences like this that he learned early on the value and importance of hard work, commitment to friends, and family responsibility.

As a young child, he was sent to live with his grandmother in San Gabriel and attended the Mission Catholic School that was across the street from where he lived. He graduated and continued his education at Colton High School. Due to family demands and, ultimately, World War II, he withdrew from high school and joined the army. He returned from war, began working, and met his wife of 71 years, Amelia Ortiz.

Javier, with Amelia, spent the little money they had on sending their daughters to Catholic schools, reflecting their love of God and the importance of their belief in Catholicism. From 1951 to 1964, Javier and Amelia were active members of Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church. Then from 1964 to now, they remained members of Saint Thomas Moore/ Saint John XXIII. Attending mass was always important, and once they were no longer able to attend, they received communion at home and watched mass on Catholic television.

Prayer and mass were, for Javier, his daily peace.

Javier loved his family. Amelia was his companion in travel, current events, gardening, and in life. She was his extension. His three daughters were his center; he was always interested in being a part of their lives. As time moved forward, he enjoyed his six grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and was excited for the new one on the way. They gave him joy, and just talking about them brought a smile to his face. His sisters were always his joy and, he especially enjoyed talking over the phone with them, remembering their parents and the crazy things they did as children. His many friends on Mariana Street were important members of his extended family, too. He cared for and loved each one.

Javier worked for much of his adult life, primarily for the United States Postal Service. While there, he started in entry-level positions, eventually going from mail carrier to postmaster. He excelled at each level. During this time, he returned to Eisenhower High School, earned his GED, and took management courses. He loved to learn and was a natural learner of languages. He was fluent in Spanish, his primary language, and English, his second language. However, he didn’t stop there; he was also well versed in Japanese, Italian, Tagalog and other dialects of the Philippines. He retained fluency in each of these languages his entire life.

In addition to his numerous interests, one thing that was always of primary importance in his daily life was walking. He often said that walking was what kept him going. He walked his neighborhood and was a fixture on Mariana Street. He would say: “I got this far in life because I walked.” Javier could be seen walking his cul-de-sac everyday until the very last week of his life. He was 96 years young when God decided it was time for him to come and be with Amelia, once again. He was ready.