on February 11, 2022. In her final moments, she was blanketed with love by her only daughter and five of her siblings.
Pia was born on April 23,1973 to her loving mother Norma Vallejo in Sanger, CA. They were
inseparable from the start, forming a lifelong bond that was immediately evident to those who knew them. Pia was a curious and adventurous child. Oftentimes, her fearlessness would get her into situations that would lead most people to an emergency room. Luckily for us, she walked away unscathed on more than one occasion from events such as falling out of a moving vehicle. She left us with so many fun and unforgettable memories. Her courage was inspiring to the very end.
Pia cherished raising her daughter, Christa, and provided her with a strong foundation of
love, family, and community. Pia’s loving, carefree spirit, and zest for life will no doubt carry on through her. In addition to being a loving mother, Pia was also a caring daughter, a devoted life partner, a nurturing big sister, the best tia a child could ever ask for, and a friend like no other.
Pia always understood her time in this world was not going to be long, so she made a genuine
effort to connect in the way she did and spread her love and message of acceptance and forgiveness. She never met a stranger she couldn’t befriend. Her outgoing and fun-loving personality made it easy to connect and become instant friends. She had many friends and the friendships she made were genuine and lifelong. Pia lit up our world so bright and we’ll continue to feel her shine – she will always be remembered as the light and life of any gathering.
Pia’s foundation on which she built her adult life was her faith in Jesus Christ, which began
early in childhood. She was passionate about her church and leaped into service wherever there was a need. As a member of the Sanger Seventh Day Adventist church, she wore multiple hats simultaneously over the years. She served as the church secretary, kindergarten and youth Sabbath school teacher, social committee leader, housekeeping coordinator, and led the decorating committee. Pia also kept church members engaged and spiritually connected through the COVID-19 pandemic by producing live-streamed church sermons.
Pia loved to learn, be of service, and had an entrepreneurial spirit. She graduated from
Sanger High School in 1991 and then later earned a Medical Assistant degree. She spent many years teaching and went on to earn a Liberal Arts degree from California State University, Fresno in 2016. Pia volunteered thousands of hours for various charities. Her gifts and talents touched the lives of many. Over the years she ran her own Avon, Amway, and Tupperware businesses. You’d often find her playing board games, enjoying arts and crafts, baking, cooking, and camping in her leisure time.
Our beloved Pia is survived by her mother, Norma V. Alvarado, and her daughter, Christa Miller,
both whom she loved deeply; and her father-figure, Francisco Alvarado. She is survived by her life partner, Chuck Goodfriend. She is also survived by her siblings Liz Molina, Frank Alvarado, Letty Lewis,Tamara Wyrick, Ruben Rodarte Jr., Steven Rodarte, Margaret Rodarte, Lulu Garza, Ruben Garza, Vicky Alvarado-Galicia, Victor Alvarado, and Julie Castro and her many nieces and nephews whom she adored. She is preceded in death by her father, Ruben Rodarte Sr., and her younger brother Ray Rodarte.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm Lisle Funeral Home 1605 "L" Street, Fresno CA 93721. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 10:00 am, Fresno Central 7th-Day Adventist, 2980 E. Yale Ave., Fresno CA 93703. Burial: Immediately following church service at Fresno Memorial Gardens. Catered Reception: 1:30 pm until 3:30 pm at Central Seventh Day Adventist.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made using the following GoFundMe link that has been set up by her best friends, Irma Collins and Tina Gonzalez. https://gofund.me/f083ec5d
