Olivia Valdivia when I heard oly' had gone home, though I felt sad,it quickly followed with a flood of memories of Oly and her family.
Recalling the last time I saw Oly was at La Perla',I had walk in that night and some of my high school classmates where all there after a Glendale high homecoming game,as I approached the small bar, I heard a voice and stared over, by that time Oly had already had limited vision; unknown to me at the time, feeling that she wouldn't know me,I walked up and said "Hi Oly and she said who is it I responded it's Joey and before I could say my last name she called it, I said Yes ! it's good to see you !,We sat there and talk for a few, mostly catching up as she made me realize that she was still working there, on and off and as our talk went on we reflected on the  La Perla', a hub of Glendale's community and just a place to get great Mexican food, Oly was one of the cooks there, I shared a story about how I work there when my mom was pregnant and was a server at La Perla' "she laughed"!  I asked how she was doing..still working she said, as usual needless to say I was impressed by her as always and by those that shared our village.
Oly's strength was a solid reflection of our neighbourhood the women who worked hard,the women who mothered the children in our neighbourhood, watching eye's of love and protection for the people around them, We talked about James,John,Patty, and Terry she proudly updated me that all is good, John who livied across the street from us and James who often stayed there at his dad's place, James was one of my childhood friends we grew up in the neighborhood and we did the things kids just can't do today "Ha"! and John    his older brother making sure thinks where in check, along with the others who watched over us in our neighbourhood, Thank you Oly and to the Valdivia family for your spirit of love and understanding..
RIP Oly ...
The Nunez Family 

James,
 Thru all our time spent together at Sun Land Beef your family stories often times centered around your Mom, Olivia. What joy and memories you all were making each and everyday! May those memories sustain you and your family in this most difficult of times.

Your Colorado friends,
Dale, Gay and Josh Nagel

I first met Olivia Valdivia while working with her son James .. I was the Irish Gringo  who got a green card to go to La Perla , the Glendale Mexican eatery where his Mom was cooking . that was in 1990 .. for some reason she took a great liking to me . telling her Big Son James not to pick on her Mio Paul . James and I would pass by his Moms house on many occasions just to check in and for James to grab another plate of her wonderful home cooked food . She always told me that James ate 3 meals on every occasion, starting at her house, moving on to his Dads and then finishing up late in the night at Martina's family . I moved away to Florida in 2000 but continued to call on Mothers day and other occasions for the past 19 yrs .  She would even mail me her tamales for Christmas ! She touched everyone she met with Love ! I Love you Olivia Valdivia .. God Speed . Your Mio Paul  

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Olivia is survived by her siblings Virginia Gutierrez and John Lauterio; her children Lillian Salazar, Teresa Valdivia, John Valdivia, Patricia Valdivia, and James (Tina) Valdivia; sixteen grandchildren, Elizabeth “Libby” Salazar, Helen Sand, Humberto “Bert” Salazar, Sheila Ayala, Christina Salazar, Kathy Valdivia, Arturo Valdivia, Deborah Alcaraz, Demetrio Alcaraz, Evelyn Alcaraz, David Alcaraz, Cynthia Valdivia, Timothy Valdivia, James Valdivia Jr., Nickolas Valdivia, and Alex Valdivia; forty-eight great-grandchildren and eleven great-great-grandchildren.

OBITUARY

Olivia L. Valdivia

17 May, 1925 – 19 August, 2019

Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary

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