Juan Villa

This was just one example of who Juan was and how he impacted those around him. Juan was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Juan wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Juan was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Juan was born on January 27, 1964 in Michioacan, Mexico. He was the son of Jose and Clara. Juan was raised in the City of Commerce, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Juan might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Juan was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Juan was raised with four siblings. He had one brother, Paul, and three sisters, Nicole, Irma, and Martha. Juan was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Juan was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Juan well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Juan was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Juan was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Juan took part in handball and raquetball. In his spare time he liked watching horse races and football. Juan had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Juan responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Juan was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Juan absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Juan, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Juan a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was English. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Erkia Burton. He will be remembered by classmates as the person you can always count on to be there. His "Perfect Attendance" recognition only proves it.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Juan was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Juan was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Sergio Ponce and Martha Ponce.

On August 26, 1985 Juan married Marina Valdivia at Santa Rosa de Lima of Maywood, CA. Juan's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Marina's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Juan was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Juan was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Juan, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Villa home. Juan's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Juan was blessed with two children: John Steven and Kent Villa.

Juan was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was that of being a Chemist. He was employed for 7 years by AMVAC. Juan was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Juan had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Juan's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Juan loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were playing handball, raquet ball and watching horse races. Juan had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Juan's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Juan derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Juan played handball. Recreational sports included handball. Juan was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, basketball, and especially college basketball.

Juan was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of Santa Rosa de Lima for over 15 years. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Juan's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Juan took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included the one taken eith his two sons and wife to Las Vegas, Nevada to visit with his brother and his family.

Juan was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Rocky, a Chihuahua dog, was a best friend for 2 1/2 years. His family was rounded out by his Maltese, Armani, a Husky, Pearl, and a Cat, Oliver.

Juan Villa passed away on May 23, 2012 at at home in the city of Maywood, California. Juan fought a brave battle wih cancer and was a ture fighter until the very end! He is survived by his wife Marina, two sons, John and Kent, his parents, Jose and Clara, and his brother Paul and three sisters, Nivole, Irma, and Martha. Services were held in the Chapel of Funeraria del Angel Bell in Bell, California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Juan. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Juan Villa for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Juan was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.