Victor V. Mora

Mr. Victor Venegas Mora, known to friends and family as “Guero” because he was born with blondish-brown hair (this was his nick name). He was a people person. He was the “life” of the party. He was the center of attention because he was a “comedian” and an “impersonator.” He made everyone from young children to senior citizens laugh at his outrageous jokes. His personality was “contagious.”

He literally gave his “shirt of his back.” He would bring strangers of the street that were less fortunate, feeding them, giving them a place to sleep. By doing these deeds, he risked his family because as far as we know… they could’ve been “ex murderers.” This put a lot of stress on our family. He was my father.

My father’s greatest love was his son, Victor Mora Jr. (that was his boy!). They loved one another. They were contagious to one another. They were each other hero e. No pet could replace that!

To Victor V. Mora, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Victor, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Victor really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Victor was born on January 3, 1933 at home in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. His parents were Eladia Venegas and Victor Mora. Victor was raised in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. Even as a child, Victor had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Victor was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Victor managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Victor was raised with three sisters and two brothers. He had two older brothers, Jose and Donato and three sisters, Mimi, Lupe and Maria.

All of Victor's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Victor experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in soccer while in Mexico and football in America.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Victor was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Victor simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Victor, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Victor's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school were college prep law courses.

He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for Victor, life was not a case of all play and no work. Victor relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. Victor was unable to continue his education in order to help support his family in Mexico.

Victor never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Victor to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Victor delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Victor was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Victor utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Vicente Martinez, Baltazar Lucio, David Martinez and Alonzo Zenteno. Later in life, he became friends with Vicente Castellanos and Carlos Mercados. He also continued his friendship with his childhood friends. Victor loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Victor very easy to approach. On June 1, 1957 Victor exchanged wedding vows with Maria Esperanza Vanegas at City Hall in Los Angeles and the Catholic Church of Los Angeles,California. .

Perhaps the reason Victor related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Victor was blessed with two children, one daughter, Linda and one son, Victor Jr. Victor had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Victor's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Victor had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Victor was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Victor liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Victor was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. His primary occupation was Inspector at Eagle Bakery and as a truck driver. He was employed for 10 years at Eagle Bakery, 20 to 25 years as a truck driver and several years for different law firms.

Victor enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. His favorite pursuits were gambling, betting on horses at the tracks, women, staying out all night entertaining. He loved dancing. He had the moves!

Victor felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Victor loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Victor relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Victor never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. He enjoyed studying horse racing brochures to include their linage and eating habits. Victor was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were horse racing to include the Kentucky Derby.

Victor had an endless appetite for new and different activities. He was always ready to join in the fun and add his flair and energy to an organization. Because of his personality, his humor, and his ability to get along with everyone, Victor's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which he belonged. Throughout his later years, Victor was an active member of the Hollywood Park Gold Club.

A generous person who often wore his heart on his sleeve, Victor often found himself involved in activities he deemed important. He was charitable, kind and giving, qualities that made him a natural volunteer. Politically, Victor was always wiling to help those less forunate in obtaining their immigration status.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Victor recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of the Catholic Church.

Naturally outgoing and generous, Victor was regularly doing things for others. For him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Victor was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included his crative costumes at Holloween.

Living life in the fast lane suited Victor just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included trips to Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico with his son Victor Jr. traveling with latin entertainers such as Mike Laure y sus Cometas, Chelo y su Conjunto y Los Bukis before they made it "Big". He went wherever they entertained for days at a time leaving his family behind.

Victor believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1998, Victor took it in stride as one more way to have fun. His new life involved relocating to Los Angeles, California. With his boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Victor remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, he found new pleasure in entertaining seniors with his stories with regards to the famous latin entertainers and their escapades and also telling his jokes. Even in retirement, Victor continued to stay in touch with his old friends and, since he'd never met a stranger, he made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Victor passed away on July 18, 2010 at hospice care at home in Huntington Park, California. He suffered from prostate and bone cancer. He is survived by his ex-wife Esperanza Venegas and his children, Victor and Linda.

Victor brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Victor V. Mora lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.