Joy Marie Del Campo

Joy Marie Del Campo by

Lisa Elias.

Joy Marie Thomsen was born the eldest of 5 children to Edward and Veronica Thomsen May 11th 1938 in Chicago Illinois.

Every life story has a beginning a middle and an end-

However the most excitement is throughout its entirety and compiled into one big happy event that we will remember and will live in our hearts forever.

Joy Marie Del Campo married in 1957

Our Mothers life actually began when she married our father Oscar del Campo her senior year at Manuel Arts high school in Los Angeles California. Although they fell in love at first sight they courted each other while dad was stationed in Germany.

Dad loved telling us the story of how he met mom and dated her before he enlisted in the army.

While on a requested trip home to Los Angeles he proposed to mom and they married February 26th 1957 in a Catholic Church on a Tuesday. Dad emphasized always that is was “On a Tuesday”

While mom was still a senior her father Edward and mother Vera Thomsen’s only request for my father was that Joy must graduate high school before they could share their life together.

So mom did just that.

Her senior year she worked as a telephone switchboard operator and saved all her money to purchase a plane ticket to Germany.

At an early age Mom chose life & love:

When graduation day came she skipped walking grad line ceremonies-

She handed her parents her diploma and hopped on a plane to join her husband overseas in Germany.

Dad always spoke of their time in Germany together. They enjoyed it and loved to sightsee. The cold winter and how they warmed the house by a wood stove.

Dad was a great photographer and captured many great moments of their time together. It wasn’t long before Mom was expecting her first child Michael in Germany in 1958.

Mom told stories of how she traveled home on an army/naval ship.

This had to be done before she was five months pregnant or she’d be unable to travel across the ocean to deliver back in the states.

Life revved up and was in full force with their next child Peter in 1959; 11 months after Mike was born. This was something Mom always spoke of-Having 2 kids 11 months apart.

As life and family was expanding quickly their 3rd son Jon was born in 1960 giving a 5 year gap between their next child.

Mom having 3 sons by 22 and Dad by 24 they became homeowners in West Covina California in 1964 which was considered the sticks from their home in Hawthorn Ca.

Dad always mentioned that he bought this house by himself for mom and surprised her with the keys on the day they moved in.

Shortly after moving in their home they welcomed their fourth son Steven born in 1965 and their only daughter Lisa in 1967.

Mom always told a story that she couldn’t believe that after four boys in a row, she finally had a daughter.

Dad decided after working and managing his brothers restaurant Casita del Campo in Los Angeles and Wynn Brothers Auto Parts he would give it a go and become a business owner at Big Oscar‘s auto parts. The first Latin American to receive a small business loan in the San Gabriel Valley.

Family owned and operated in Covina California 1970 to only 1980 as the city was redeveloping the land after it was sold. After this they decided to re-locate in Fresno California where they stayed briefly before heading back to West Covina California once again.

Mom was a business owner but by far her best accomplishments were raising her family and running a home where she was a nurturer, gardener, painter,roof shellacker , card player, snack bar worker best cook ever and school project extraordinaire making a paper-mâché sphinx overnight to help her kids excel. we could always count on Mom. Mom loved her Husband, her parents, her brothers and sisters,her children, her nieces, her nephews, and later on in life her grandchildren. She enjoyed creating the best Christmas’ with gifts and food galore followed up with a competitive game of Rummy to end the night.

Our parents loved estate sales, collecting to a fault but relished in all their finds.

Most recently Mom loved morning conversations with her sister Jill and sudoku. She loved receiving calls from her kids and grandchildren and catching up with their lives especially when they came into town for visits. She still drove her own vehicle and handled her own affairs.

Mom and dad were at one point business owners to Auto Brake and Parts in Covina during the mid 80’s.

With their 4 sons and daughter and son-in-law all working together for years.

They also purchased and ran Purcell Auto Supply in

El Monte California.

Our parents were successful with business family and marriage. They were married in 1957 and stayed married for 57 years before dad passed in January of 2014.

Mom catered to dad for years and was dad‘s biggest support till the very end. Brother Jon made a neat statement saying, “Not only were we a family who worked together for years we spent all of our free time together as well ! -Holidays golfing, birthdays, boxing matches on HBO live and sporting events for the kids and the grands. We were a family”!

A family Mom and Dad Built!

Mom loved us all. She answered the phone on all holidays with excitement in her voice Merry

Christmas!

Happy Halloween ,Happy Valentine’s Day and our favorite that we will miss forever- Happy birthday singing to all of us in full on our own special days. It was rare to not receive a card with a gift during birthdays and holidays, weddings and graduations. This was so important to mom.

Our hearts are joyful and yet broken of Moms sudden unexpected passing, but we will continue to be Del Campo strong just like Mom and Dad taught us.

Mom‘s final wishes were to be cremated and honored at sea with my father so they could be together again.

We will honor Mom‘s wishes with a private family memorial at sea and a celebration of life with family and friends who would love to attend. The date of celebration is to be determined and we will keep you all posted.

We thank you for all your love and support You’ve shown our entire family.

We will miss you tremendously Mom.

We will honor your life always. And you will always be

Our Mother

Joy Marie Del Campo who was

Born May 11th 1938 and lastly

Passed into eternal life

July 15th 2025.

Preceded in death by her father, Edward Thomsen, her mother, Vera Thomsen,

her husband Oscar del Campo and his sisters Beatriz, Olivia, brother Rudy, And sister Emma, Brother Ned Thomsen, and sister Lee Johnson and daughter-in-law

Philly Del Campo.

Mom is survived by her five children,

Michael and wife Kathy Del Campo, Peter and wife Patty Del Campo, Jon Del Campo, Steven and wife Liz del Campo and Lisa and son in law Jerry Elias.

17 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren and counting.

Finally and quite possibly intentionally Mom bookmarked a chapter from Apples of Gold

compiled by Jo Petty

The chapter is simply stated

JOY

There is nothing I can give you which you have not,

But there is much that while I cannot give you you can take:

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take Heaven.

No peace lies in the future, which is not hidden in the present instance.

Take peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it,

yet within reach is joy.

Take Joy!

Thank you for my life mom!

I will Love you always and forever miss you here with me.

Your only daughter.

Lisa Joy!