Delia Martinez Tarrant

Delia Martinez Tarrant of Chino Hills, California, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt passed away on Saturday April 28, 2018 after complications from cardiac surgery. Delia was able to spend her final days on hospice at the home she and Earl, her husband of 40 years, so cherished. Her family ["my Lydia", "my Luli (Rudy)" and her beloved granddaughter "my Ani"] were able to spend precious loving moments with her during the last week of her life.

Delia was born March 3, 1933 and grew up in an "all girls household" in the Chavez Ravine neighborhood of Los Angeles, California during the 1930s and 1940s, with her mother, grandmother, twin sister Ofie, baby sister Sally and later half-sister Anita. That early sense of "girl power" stayed with Delia all her life as shown by the many close friendships Delia built and cherished over the years with her "girls."

Delia was born to be a mother and was absolutely devoted to her son Rudy and daughter Lydia, who she raised (with her first husband Max) in Los Angeles, Mira Loma and eventually Santa Ana. After her children were in high school and her marriage to Max ended, Delia met and married the love of her life, a tall, strapping former Navy man named Earl Tarrant, while working at Ford Aerospace. After many years, Earl and Delia left Santa Ana for the "country life" in their dream house in Chino Hills. Upon their retirement in 1995, Delia and Earl became actively involved in the Chino Senior Center where Delia taught craft classes for over 20 years, sang in the choir, dominated in the "Legends" Senior Olympics, modeled in fashion shows and became the core of the daily lunch group at Denny's. Delia was an amazingly creative woman, designing and making countless beautiful needlework projects, quilts, crocheted/knit blankets and other craft projects which she shared with her "ladies" at the Chino Senior Center. Delia especially loved creating holiday decorations and dressing up in festive holiday tee shirts or sweaters (not to mention her legendary DIY Halloween costumes). Until the last weeks of her life, Delia always projected the feisty, fun-loving spirit of a woman far younger than her years.

Delia is survived by her husband, Earl, her daughter Lydia and son-in-law Ellison, her son Rudy and daughter-in-law Sally, her adored granddaughter Ana ("my precious"), her sister Celia, nieces Denise and Debbie, half-sister Anita and her son, Jeffrey. She is preceded in death by her mother Ruth Sharp, twin sister Ofelia Garcia and niece Valerie Noriega.

A family visitation followed by memorial service for Delia will be held Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Funeraria Del Angel Chino, 13002 Central Ave, Chino, California followed by a lunch at the Chino Senior Center, 13170 Central Avenue, Chino, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association in Delia's memory.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Tarrant/Enriquez family may be shared at www.Funerariadelangelchino.com.