Paul V. Avalos

(also known as Vickie, Magoo, Daddy, Pops and Tata) was born on June 30, 1936 in San Diego, CA to Maria Torres and Santos Avalos, both of Mexico. He is survived by siblings, Sister Matilda Teresa (Didi), Monica Workman, David, Margaret (Peggy) Godshalk and Delores Reed.

Victor grew up in Old Town National City in a loving but modest home that was always open to anyone in his extended family who needed a place to stay. He learned Spanish from his Grandmother Lola, ate homemade beans and tortillas, and had fun running around with his cousins and friends. He learned to manage his financial expenses from his mother, basic boxing skills from his ‘Pop’ and other important life skills from his older sister Didi. He attended West 18th Street and St. Mary’s schools in National City and graduated from St Augustine High School in 1954, and was always proud of being a kid from OTNC.

Victor entered the Army after graduating and was stationed in Alaska where he worked in the motor pool and developed a big distaste for the snow. He met Esther Nunez in 1956 at a party while he was on leave and the two corresponded and fell in love. She said that she was looking for a man who was “good to his mother and went to church”, and he was the perfect fit. They were married on January 25, 1958 and had seven children.

Victor worked at Naval Air Station, North Island as an Airframes Mechanic after being accepted into the Apprentice Program. In 1964 he was honored as Outstanding Graduate Apprentice of the year. He went on to become Journeyman, working in Building 94. He made good friends at North Island who he kept for a lifetime. The family attended Open Houses there with Blue Angles soaring overhead and amazing

Company Picnics with pit barbecue, three-legged races and raffle prizes. He was a hard-working and reliable employee and rarely missed a day of work, earning many perfect attendance awards over the years.

Victor, a devout Catholic, joined St Rita’s Church in 1958 and was very active in the parish over the years. He was a member of the Men’s Club and served up breakfast and donuts after masses in the church auditorium. He helped with the Bazaar and Food Bank and drove all over San Diego in his truck to collect newspaper for the church’s recycling effort. He was an Extraordinary Minister at mass and delivered communion to the Sick. Victor and Esther were regulars at 7:30 AM mass on Sundays and he always prepared breakfast afterwards with the help of his boys: eggs-any style, bacon, hashbrowns from scratch and OJ and chocolate milk. He celebrated both his 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary at St Rita’s Church. He worked hard and sacrificed to send all seven children to Catholic School from 1st thru 12th, with the boys all graduating from St Augustine and the girls from Our Lady of Peace, thus providing them with the best education possible and an opportunity to do anything in life they set their sights on.

Victor loved football, played recreationally and was a huge Chargers fan and season ticket holder. So huge in fact that when he had to chaperon his sisters, Monica and Peggy, to the historic Beatles Concert at Balboa Stadium in 1965, he was crouched in his seat, ear pressed to his transistor radio straining to hear the Chargers game instead of listening to the band! And, it was a pre-season game!! He taught all his kids how to throw and catch a football and had everyone playing before they fully understood the game. He would map out a play on his hand before moving everyone to the line of scrimmage. Hike, hike! The Avalos tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving in the Turkey Bowl on West 22nd St. went on for over 50 years. If you are part of the Avalos family, you have played in a Turkey Bowl and so did Victor, many times! But watch out for those trick plays from his brother David!

Victor was a motorcycle enthusiast, owned multiple bikes and commuted to work on a bike for years. He loved to give rides and when the 805 was being built he took his kids and Esther off-roading through the construction zone that had cut through his neighborhood. There were trips to the desert and to 24th St Pier and then there was the Greenhorn. The Greenhorn Enduro was a nationally recognized 500mile, 2-day desert, off-road competition where the motorcycle rider AND motorcycle, both, took a beating. Victor competed in the Greenhorn twice!

Victor decided to run a marathon after turning 40 and trained religiously, mapping out his schedule on a calendar and adhering to his plan. He watched his diet and loaded up on carbs. He subscribed to Runner’s World and used to line up his New Balance sneakers in the house, filling in the soles with hot glue whenever they wore down. In 1978 he completed the 26-mile Palo Alto Marathon, exhausted and spent, but was able to relax that evening in a bubble bath provided by his little sister Delores along with a yummy lasagna dinner. But I think Steve is the one who added the rubber ducky to the bath!

Every Christmas Victor would bake batches of his famous carrot cake loaf from scratch. It wasn’t Christmas until you saw a loaf of carrot cake cooling on a counter in the kitchen. He would deliver the loaves to his cousins and Aunts as gifts during the Holidays, stopping by to visit each one as was part of his annual tradition. One year he decided to try out a cranberry bread, but he received so much backlash that he quickly abandoned that idea and went back to grating carrots. He also prepared a huge Christmas Brunch for the family on the Sunday just before the 25th that was followed by the Gift Exchange where the number of times you were allowed to steal a gift had to be re-hashed, discussed and reconfirmed!

After attending his 50th High School Reunion at Saint Augustine, Victor and the Class of ’54 formed a group and began meeting monthly. They would enjoy a meal, buy Lottery tickets, plan poker or Theatre nights and select charitable events to participate in. He was so proud of this group and all the good work they did and the fact that the meetings occurred consecutively, for over 15 years. (He also bragged that at one of their meetings in the Saints Library the group did a shot of Tequila!)

Victor wanted the family to take trips and create memories, so he decided to try camping. His first purchase was a pup tent that could only sleep two people. He loved it! He took the family on big camping trips to the Grand Canyon. And then smaller trips every year to Tecate, MX in July for the Fourth and to Mt Laguna in August during the Meteor Showers. He did all the cooking and supervised the production of the campfire breakfast sandwich in Mt Laguna every year-a tradition that still continues, complete with sandwich.

Victor loved to have parties! He was a great dancer and he and Esther would tear up the dance floor showing off their jitterbug skills! But if he asked one of his daughters to dance in her place, they better keep that arm stiff in order to spin or twirl, in whichever direction he sent them flying.

And meetings! Victor loved to have meetings to plan things. For his 50th Anniversary he had meetings to discuss guest lists, overnight accommodations, breakfast the following morning, photography, music and even a Dance meeting where everyone had to practice their moves, including Cumbia and Electric Slide!

Victor loved to listen to music and always had something playing. He purchased a stereo system while working in the Philippines and would tell his kids for years how it was state of the art. Louie Jordan would belt out “Beans and Cornbread” from a reel-to-reel tape and Victor would play records and turn up the volume on Saturday mornings getting everyone out of bed to Steve Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of my Life”. He loved Latin Jazz and attended Bill Caballero’s Jam every Thursday with Esther for years, sitting front and center. And they went to more concerts than you could count!

Victor attended all family events whether for his children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. He was proud of them all and had a special relationship with each. He loved to retell stories about them that had tickled him and he would share again and again. He always had a smile and a joke to try, a word of encouragement to share or sometimes some words of wisdom to provide. He enjoyed following all their special interests and loved to take photographs, carrying his camera with him everywhere. He documented birthday parties, Track, football or baseball games, graduations, reunions, receptions and everything in between. It was a favorite pastime!

He shared 57 beautiful years with Esther, becoming her Caregiver for the last 5 years of her life. He was amazing, dedicated and attentive until she passed, providing her with the best care imaginable.

Victor loved his children and their spouses and is survived by; Paul Jr, Gregory, Teresa & Robert Naungayan, (Pauline) ‘Sami’ & Ned Kern, (Margaret) ‘Punkin’ & Bill Lathan, Michael, and Suzi & Pichi Lopez; as well as his 13 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild.

Victor showed us how to set a goal and then achieve that goal through hard work. He showed us how important it was to take care of his family by working hard to provide a stable and loving home and by always taking good care of everyone.

He would help you with anything if you asked (as long as it wasn’t Algebra), and he was a stand-up guy. He made relationships with people and nurtured his relationships forever. He called, he visited, he sent Christmas Cards, he did what he said he was going to do- you could always depend on that. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend.

And he is already missed by all.