Angel "Bello" Sanchez Gomez

Ángel Sánchez Gomez, age 82, of Hemet, California passed away on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Ángel was born October 1, 1938 in Tecalitlán in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, to Hermelinda Gomez García and Jesus Sánchez Cardenas.

His early life was one of humility and hardship. He recounted how, as a toddler, his father would make him shoes out of pieces of discarded cardboard, which he would quickly wear out by playing soccer in the dirt among rocks and scorpions.

He met his wife María at a young age. They were neighbors in Tecalitlán and developed a long span of friendship that began with Ángel helping her retrieve water from a neighborhood source for their daily chores and consumption. The relationship deepened when he declared his affections with a single flower, which María promptly rejected. She eventually received it and, consistent with the culture at the time, they were married as teenagers, when he was 15 years old.

Ángel served for a short period in the Mexican military, as a soldier in the 42nd Infantry, Division A, 1320th Regiment, 3rd Battalion. To his wife's relief, he was never drafted for war. Instead, much of his work history was spent as a "campesino" --an agricultural laborer both in Mexico and later, in the United States. It was through this work that he garnered a life-long appreciation for nature and cultivation of the land. It was a love that he tried to instill in his children and grandchildren by passing along his knowledge of gardening, rearing and harvesting crops and livestock, and maintaining the land.

It was an interaction with which he showed his quiet affection for his offspring, who recall his love and enthusiasm as he taught them to plant trees, harvest nopales and even curb pests. Some still remember his very straight-forward demonstration of how to kill gophers effectively with only a water hose and shovel. Others recall working with him in the fields picking fruits and his taking advantage of the availability of ripe figs to feed themselves when he otherwise couldn't afford to.

He was a man of modest means and at times few words, but what he lacked in finances and eloquence, he made up for in his unwavering love for his family and dedication of his time and labor. He showed his love through acts of service, frequently helping his loved ones with various projects and errands where he could share his experience. He attended almost every family function and always had a greeting and hug ready for his loved ones, no matter what he was in the middle of doing. Over the years, he developed more of an ease for expressing his affection verbally, especially towards his grandchildren, all of whom affectionately called him "Bello"--the masculine form of "beautiful" in Spanish. While the nickname was born of a mispronunciation of "abuelo", it was a title which he grew into and exemplified the beauty of his patience, humility and persistent devotion to his family.

One of the biggest milestones of Ángel's life was joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and entering the Los Angeles temple to be sealed with his wife and children. It was an accomplishment which he was very proud of, but also one which he believed to be of spiritual importance. For him, death was a beginning to an eternity of love and fellowship with God and with his family, and communicating this belief was one of the persistent acts of love in his later life.

For him, and those who believe as he did, he is thus not gone, but in waiting.

He is survived by his wife, María de Jesús Sánchez Pizano and their seven children, as well as twenty grandchildren and forty great-grandchildren,

A visitation for Angel will be held Wednesday, October 6, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3520 E Washington St, Colton, CA 92324. A funeral service will occur Thursday, October 7, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 3520 E Washington St, Colton, CA 92324. A committal service will occur Thursday, October 7, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Montecito Memorial Park, 3520 E Washington St, Colton, CA 92324.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.montecitomemorialparkandmortuary.com for the Sanchez Gomez family.