Maria Guadalupe Ochoa

The indomitable Maria Guadalupe Ochoa was a woman of enormous charisma and intelligence. A mother, community leader, businesswoman, querida by all that knew her – she leaves behind an enormous legacy of love.

Born in Durango, Mexico to Ricardo Gonzalez Aviña and Candelaria Hernandez Gonzalez she was one of a dozen children (but family folklore says two dozen). She immigrated as a girl from Juarez, Chihuahua to Clint, Texas and would later relocate to La Puente, California where she was crowned la reina by the local soccer league in 1965. She would then move to her lifelong home of Oceanside. There she met her husband, Carlos Gómez Ochoa at Stuart Mesa Farms. They were married in 1967 and last year marked their 56th anniversary.

Lupe lived boldly and she experienced her share of rough patches. She always somehow managed to look beyond her own conditions to support her family and help others.

Throughout her life Lupe worked in a clothing factory, an egg nursery, a cotton field and at a hardware store in Texas. With a 7th grade education, at the top of her math classes in Texas, she would build up a successful business in San Diego County, selling everything a lo Mexicano. Savvy in all her business pursuits, she developed a network of delivery routes for tortillas through which she purveyed food in a way that helped build communities. Un ruta led to two, y despues quatro, y en total seis rutas throughout the North County of San Diego. This was all done at a time when it was not common for Latinas to own businesses.

That business led to a brick-and-mortar restaurant called Carlito’s Chicken that is still going strong today serving juicy char broiled chicken - coming up on its 40th anniversary. The venture was so successful, she eventually opened a second location in San Marcos, CA from 1987–97. These enterprises employed her sons, brothers-in-law, family members, and fellow migrants. She always worked to support migrant workers making a life for themselves in the United States. This story speaks to her tremendous industriousness and how she sincerely understood how difficult it was to make a way in this country. She worked long hours to help provide for her family, but to Lupe, the restaurant was a second home, and her loyal customers and the surrounding community were part of her family.

She was enormously generous to the people who knew her – so much so that she made this type of unique generosity seem easy. She was the person to go to for help in any situation. And both family and friends relied on her. She was a forever pillar and foundation for so many. She leaves us, but she leaves us an enormous gift she built by hand.

Many family friends had an open-door policy to visit the house. They were embraced as extended family, especially during the holidays. This applied to our primos tambien who would become part of our immediate family and live with us for a summer or two. She also was a madrina to many family members and took her role seriously. A devoted parishioner of San Luis Rey Mission Church, she was known as “La Señora del Chocolate” for treating staff and fellow parishioners to delicious hot chocolate. It was a place of spiritual worship and a social network of likeminded community members.

Dancing and singing were two of Lupe’s passions. She loved to partake with her familia, especially her brothers, Chaparro, Layo, Jose, y Cuco. “Otra baile China?!” (Chee-nah), was a request you could often hear at family gatherings. Despues de una cena buena, family would begin to cantar. Sometimes by guitarra, other times con musica, o sin musica, con solamente sus voces. Lupita also loved movies — whether it was Westerns or a Pedro Infante pelicula — and she would take her family and employees on regular outings to the Mann Theater or Regal Cinema to catch the latest releases. All the movie theater employees knew her by name.

She always found ways to uplift her community and support her family and friends, in our household, our mom was our everything. She worked hard and was there for the family. She will always be our biggest supporter in pursuing our dreams, cheering us on with a favorite Spanish canto and an exuberant dance. Going through family albums there are pictures of her throughout the decades, celebrating life. Punctuated by birthday parties and family get-togethers, Lupe showed us how to convivir. She was an expert at making sure the people around her felt loved and seen.

With her loss we not only lose a devoted wife, mother, madrina, y abuelita, we lost a pillar of the community. She will be terribly missed by her husband, Carlos and her boys, Carito’s, Jesse, Ruben, y Arturo and the rest of la familia; Beto, Jose Luis, Lety, Bebito, Bolita, Angelica, Alexis, Joshua, Trinnie, Jasper, y Emmett.

Maria Guadalupe Ochoa is survived by her husband of 56 years, Carlos Ochoa, their four sons and partners/spouses, Carlos Ochoa Jr. & Malita M. Bundy, Jesus & Ruth Ochoa, Ruben Ochoa & Cam La, and Arturo G. Ochoa & Mariana Burns. She lives in the hearts of her siblings and their families: José y Margarita Gonzalez, Hilario y Teresa Gonzalez, and David Gonzalez Aviña y Isela R. Aviña. Her love of life continues through her grandchildren, Alexis Ayla Ochoa, Joshua Jesus Ochoa, Trinity Anne Ochoa, Jasper La Ochoa, Emmett La Ochoa, and the expected baby, Marlowe Lupita Burns Ochoa. She will forever be remembered by her in-laws: Heribeto Ochoa, Manuel Ochoa, Raul y Rosa Ochoa, Celia Ochoa, Teressa Ochoa, Maria de Jesus y Patricia Ochoa, and Jose Luis y, Leticia Ochoa and their children; Jose Ochoa Jr., Arturo Ochoa, and Angelica Ochoa. She also leaves behind numerous other families and close friends.

The family is forever grateful to Maria Guadalupe Ochoa, let us remember the laughter she brought, the love she shared, and the legacy of faith and family she leaves behind. May her soul find eternal peace in the loving embrace of God.