Adela S. Sanchez

Adela S. Sanchez was a natural leader whose winning presence allowed her to take control of various situations with ease. Equipped with a clear and calculating focus, she possessed a tough-minded, “take charge” attitude. She had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting, and she was at ease with the role of playing problem solver. Adela always sought out the scene of where the action was. Sociable, analytical and pleasant, Adela was an individual who enjoyed life’s challenges.

Adela was born on November 9, 1935 at home at 263 North Mednick Avenue in Belvedere/ East Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Juan Sanchez and Adela Torrez. Adela was raised in East Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Always able to express herself well, Adela possessed strong interpersonal skills. She was optimistic in her outlook on life and was able at all times to be open and direct in her communication and was armed with a great wit. Adela was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic.

Blessed with a balanced attitude, Adela was able to relate well with others. Her occasional role as family mediator gave her the opportunity to ease tense situations when they occurred. Adela was raised with four siblings. She had one older brother Edward, two younger brothers Francisco and Tony and one younger sister Stella. Adela had a strong desire to be treated fairly and would readily offer others the same fairness in return.

On June 2nd, 1956 Adela exchanged wedding vows with Louie Sanchez at the Saint James Church of Las Vegas, Nevada. Adela was attentive to Louie's feelings, and she charmed Louie and others with her gift for being able to give freely and generously. A good listener with an engaging personality, Adela was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humor to the relationship.

Very much like a kid herself, Adela identified with the inquisitive and creative side of her children’s personalities. She was able to direct her energy and spontaneity towards helping her children acquire added common sense skills. Adela was blessed with 3 children, one son Louie and two daughters Christina and Vivian Marie. She was also blessed with three grandsons, Lucas, Baron and Matthew.

Adela was a flexible worker who was able to draw the best from others around her. A persuasive individual who was quick to make necessary decisions. Adela was able to positively manipulate situations and motivate others in order to get a task completed. She was a good negotiator who enjoyed new challenges. Adela could multi-task, and she was endowed with entrepreneurial spirit, allowing her to think beyond standard norms when it came to resolving issues in her work environment. Her primary occupation was as a Personnel Director. She was employed for 20 years by The Boardwalk/Holiday Inn Corporation.

Adela enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. She had something of an artistic flair in many of the things that she did. She put this creativity toward all of her pastimes. Her favorite pursuits were creating flower arrangements, cutting the neighborhood children’s hair and being a parent volunteer for the elementary school. She was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Adela was a gifted problem solver who worked hard to help accomplish group goals. This skill made her a wonderful asset to the various groups and organizations to which she belonged. Always matter-of-fact about what needed to be done, Adela worked steadily to meet any organization’s goals. Adela was an active member of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and a parent volunteer for the Cub Scouts.

Adela held close traditional values and as a result, faith was important to her. She was a member of St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church.

Adela’s natural leadership qualities placed her in consideration for public recognition, earning her accolades for her many and varied efforts throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included winning the first place Blue Ribbon for Jaycees State Fair for Succulent Plants and at the Centennial Celebration for Las Vegas she received a 50 year Resident Ribbon.

Traveling and vacationing were experiences that Adela truly enjoyed. She preferred to seek out excitement wherever she went and she was partial to vacations that were casual and laid back with an atmosphere of “live and let live.” She was willing to leave her plans open and flexible, just in case something more interesting came along. Favorite vacations included Catalina Island, Acapulco, Ensenada, the bullfights in T.J., Disneyland and Hawaii.

Adela fought a lingering illness of Parkinson’s and Kidney Disease. She is preceded in death by her daughter Vivian Ann. She is survived by her husband Louie, her children; Christina, Louie "Tiger" and Vivian Marie and her grandchildren; Lucas, Baron and Matthew and her siblings Edward, Tony and Stella. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary. Adela was laid to rest in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Adela was the kind of person who could win others over easily. A concrete communicator, she relied on her senses to increase her involvement and awareness of others. She was always able to provide amusing repartee to her friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. If Adela had a theme song written about her, it might well have been “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” She enjoyed her life and the experience of living it. This is how everyone will remember Adela S. Sanchez.