Antonio Cabezas Diaz

This was just one example of who Antonio was and how he impacted those around him. Antonio was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Antonio wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Antonio was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Antonio was born on August 21, 1954 at home with a midwife who was his grandma in Sahuayo Michoacan Mexico. He was the son of Felipe and Maria Cabezas. Antonio was raised in Sahuayo Mexico. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Antonio might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Antonio was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Antonio was raised with eight siblings. He had three younger sisters, Angelina, Teresa, and Cecilia; five younger brothers, Ramon, Roberto, Felipe, Joseluis, and Jesus. Antonio was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Antonio was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Antonio well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Antonio was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Antonio was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Antonio took part in soccer and baseball. He was a member at the youth club for St. Agnes Church. In his spare time he liked swimming in the rivers, fishing and camping. Antonio had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Antonio responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Antonio was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Antonio absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Antonio, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Antonio a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was economics. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Martinez.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Antonio was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Antonio was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Jose, Renee, and Alfonso. Later in life, he became friends with Alofonso.

On August 3, 2005 Antonio married Gloria Lillian Morales Mijia at White Chapel in Las Vegas of Las Vegas, Nevada. Antonio's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Gloria's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Antonio was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Antonio was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Antonio, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Cabezas Diaz home. Antonio's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Antonio was blessed with two children: Felipe and Lupe. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Vivian, Jacob and Michelle.

Antonio was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was entrepreneur and sales. He was self-employed for 35 years. Antonio was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Antonio had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Antonio's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Antonio was in the Mexican Military. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

Because Antonio loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were camping, fishing, and horseback riding. Antonio had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Antonio's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Antonio derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Antonio played soccer. Recreational sports also included playing soccer. Antonio was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were soccer, baseball and boxing.

Antonio was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of the Catholic Church for 58 years. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Antonio's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Antonio took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included going throughout Mexico. He enjoyed going to El Salvador, Guatemala, San Quentin, and Baja,California.

Antonio was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Lala, a terrier dog, was a best friend for 10 years. His family was rounded out by his two other dogs, Neron and Sassy.

Antonio Cabezas Diaz passed away on March 2, 2012 at Valley Hospital of Diabetes complications. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; and two children, Tony and Lupe. Services were held at Palm Mortuary.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Antonio. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Antonio Cabezas Diaz for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Antonio was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Northwest Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.