Lilia Delgado Young

Lilia D. Young, age 89 of Montclair, CA, died February 23rd, 2025, in Chino Hills, California. She was a resident at Pacifica Senior Living in Memory Care since November 2023. Lilia was born in Veracruz, Mexico in 1935. She was raised in Veracruz, Mazatlán, Guadalajara, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. She was a banker, and then a secretary for the American Consulate in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. It was there that she met and married her husband, American Vice Consul Ronald R. Young. He was a foreign service officer for the U.S. State Department. He also served in the Korean War in the Special Services Department for the Army. They were married for 44 years until Lilia was widowed in 2007. Together, they lived in Arizona, Virginia, and Bermuda, before moving to Montclair in 1968.

As a resident of Montclair, Lilia was a successful cake decorator who made many birthday and wedding cakes. She also worked at Padua Hills in Claremont in the gift shop on Sundays. She is best known as the owner of Donahoo’s Golden Chicken at 723 N. Euclid Ave., in Ontario from 1981 to 1998. Of all her accomplishments she loved the beautiful garden she created at her home. In retirement, you could find her there daily, tending to it and visiting with friends and family. She had a ‘green thumb’ and grew many fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Lilia is survived by her son, Richard R. Young, daughter Linda D. Y. Bender, son-in-law Dr. Edward E. Bender, granddaughters Alexandra and Jacquelyn Bender of Chino, and Victoria Bender-Whieldon, grandson-in-law Nolan Whieldon, and great grandson William Whieldon of Norco.

Her parents were Juanita Burgueño Laveaga and José Delgado Gonzalez. Lilia was the middle child, and is survived by her older sister Dora Delgado Rivero, and her children, Sigfrido, Dora, and Thelma, and their children of Arizona. Also, her sister-in-law Alma Rosa Torres and her children; Ixchel, Tojil, and Nacxit Delgado of Hermosillo, Mexico.

Sisters-in-law Connie Roberts and Joan Morely of Tigard, Oregon, and one brother-in- law, Stephan Strickland of Albia, Iowa and his daughter (Lilia’s niece) Michelle Strickland. Lilia has many cousins, nephews and nieces. To Lilia, family was everything. She was proud of her heritage and ancestry. She loved to travel and made time to visit relatives and friends around the world. Lilia was loved by so many. To know her was to love her. She was a lot of fun and showed everyone a good time. She was blessed to live a full life. Her mottos were “to live your best life with class and without regret” and “on time is when I get there”. May her memory and legacy live on.