Juanita Aguilar-Aguero

Many things can be said about Juanita Aguilar-Aguero. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. Juanita was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around her. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

Juanita was born on January 23, 1929 at home in Corona, California. Her parents were Lauro Aguilar and Elpicia Aquero. Juanita was raised in California until the age of 6. Her family then moved back to Mexico when her mother passed away. When she was young, Juanita's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Juanita demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her.

Juanita grew up with eleven siblings named, Federico, Maria De Jesus, Isabel, Angelina, Lupe, La BeBa, Luz, Maria, Tomas, Alejandro, Maria and Enedina. Juanita was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. She was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served her well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Juanita carried these traits into her adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found her pleasurable and delightful to be around. Juanita was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew.

As a young girl, Juanita was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether her peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Juanita could easily relate to other kids. She was an active child who took part in church events. In her spare time she liked to read and cross point. As a child, Juanita only attended school up to the second grade. Once she was in Mexico, her grandfather did not send her to school, and instead, she started working at a very early age. However, to Juanita, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

Always considered a “good” friend, Juanita sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Juanita always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Juanita’s friends found her easy to know and get along with because of her talent for being socially at ease, adept at conversation, and always amiable in her dealings with others. Juanita would always seek to learn what her friends enjoyed, and she would go out of her way to make sure that their needs were met. Juanita was always seen as the type of person who was the more gracious giver. In fact, she sometimes felt ill at ease when she was the one on the receiving end. Throughout her life she had many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Senora Ines, Natalia, Angelina, and Paula. Later in life, she remained friends with all the girls she grew up with.

In January of 1946, Juanita married Sr. Antonio Barajas Leon at the Iglesia La Purisima in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico. Compassionate and devoted, Juanita worked hard to make her new family happy. She was always generous with her time and this meant that Antonio came first in Juanita’s book. She was always caring and made certain that she considered Antonio’s feelings. By trusting her emotions, Juanita did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Juanita was truly a person of empathy.

Juanita’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Juanita shared these values with her eleven children named, Christina, Antonio, Graciela, Leticia, Guadalupe, Maria Asuncion, Leonardo, Julieta, Irma, Gelo, and Ramon. Juanita was blessed with twenty-four grandchildren, Rafael, Nilda, Jessica, Rolando, Laura, William, Aldys, Vanessa, Cynthia, Joel, Alejandra, Leonardo, William David, Monica, Sugey, Alphonso, Jose, Eliana, Patricio, Ryan, Carlos, Lisa, and Mauricio. She was also blessed with nineteen great grandchildren. Juanita related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them.

Juanita experienced success in her work life over and over again. Her primary occupation was as a housewife, but during her younger years before she was married, she was a cook. Juanita took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Juanita was one to take the initiative and her skills at working cooperatively were highly valued.

Because she was organized and methodical, Juanita took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading and cross point. Juanita enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

Juanita derived much satisfaction from sports. Because she was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Juanita delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. Juanita was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams' events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football and bullfighting.

Juanita was well known to others for her ability to naturally and conscientiously move into action to help others, a quality that placed her as an active contributor to many community activities. Charismatic by nature, she was always viewed by others as someone who built bridges, connected to people, and upheld her personal values. She served on committees for the Iglesia Del Carmen Church. Politically, Juanita was a Democrat.

Juanita’s faith was important to her. She was a member of Iglesia Del Carmen Church in Mexico for many years. She was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in her work with the congregation.

Juanita enjoyed traveling, and because she was so well organized, she would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Juanita were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included visiting Mexican historical sites, and travelling back and forth from Mexico and California.

Juanita was a lover of animals and cherished her pet birds. She had these birds for many years, and they ranged from Australian parrots to canaries.

When Juanita’s retirement finally came in 1994, she was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that she was, Juanita had taken care to plan for this part of her life. When that time eventually arrived, Juanita knew exactly what she wanted to do. Her new life involved relocating to San Jose, California. In retirement, she found new pleasure in reading and doing cross pointing. She loved to read Reader's Digest until they stopped producing them. Even in retirement, Juanita continued to stay in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Juanita passed away on September 23, 2012 at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California due to poor health. She is survived by her brother, her nine children, and her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. Juanita was laid to rest in Iglesia Catedral El Rosario in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico.

Throughout her life, Juanita was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. She would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. She was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Juanita leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Juanita Aguilar-Aguero.