Guadalupe J Flores

June 6, 1931 – May 15, 2018

Guadalupe J. Flores, 86, a long-time resident of Clovis, passed away peacefully, after a long illness, on May 15, 2016, with his family at his bedside. Born June 06, 1931, in San Diego de Alejandria, Jalisco, Mexico, he was the son of Lucia Jimenez Rea and José Flores. He is survived by his six children: Lucía, José, Xavier, Santos, Armando and Noé Flores, as well as 17 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A rosary will be prayed in his honor on Tuesday, May 29, at 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Clovis.

A funeral mass will be celebrated for Guadalupe on Wednesday, May 30, at 12 PM, also at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Clovis Cemetery.

A reception for family and friends will be held at Notre Dame Hall in Clovis after the funeral.

A loving, caring and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Guadalupe was known for his work ethic, as well as his strong and decisive approach to life in general and especially in business. His was married to the late Celia Flores. Guadalupe came to the United States at the age of 13. His family left his home in Mexico in 1944 and traveled to La Feria, Texas. From an early age, Guadalupe proved to be a hard worker. His inclination to be an entrepreneur was evident early on when he would buy old bicycles, fix them and sell. He also earned a living as a barber, though at the time he only charged 50 cents per haircut. In wanting to expand his horizons, Lupe, as he was known, came to California looking for new opportunities. He settled in Clovis, an area he loved due to its peacefulness and abundance of work in agriculture. Wanting to settle down and start a family, he returned to Texas and asked his girlfriend Celia Bernal to marry him. The wedding was celebrated in her hometown of Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in January 1956.

The young couple arrived to Clovis in February 1956. While at first Guadalupe worked in many occupations in order to support his family, in November of 1978, Guadalupe and Celia opened a Mexican food restaurant they called La Posada on Pollasky Avenue in downtown Clovis. It quickly became a Clovis area favorite and stayed open for 39 years until the couple's retirement. Guadalupe always took pride in being a business owner; they were proud Clovis residents. Guadalupe and Celia strongly believed in giving back to their community and regularly donated to many Clovis area schools as well as to many organization that would sought their support. They restaurant was frequently the site of organization meetings—at no charge.

A devout Catholic, Guadalupe was active in his church’s Guadalupe Society where he held several officer positions including Sergeant of Arms & Banner holder. His Guadalupe Society membership lasted more than 60 years of his membership. Though fully involved in the family business, he and Celia always made time to personally get involved in church and community events. Among other things, he volunteered to go the Korean War, but due to his limited language skills at the time, he was not able to be enlisted.

He will be dearly missed by family and friends. Descanse en paz.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.boicefuneralhome.com for the Flores family.