Juan Franco Vallejo

Juan Franco Vallejo was born on April 21, 1944, to Margarito Vallejo Loza and Margarita Franco in a small town called Cañadas, which resides in Jalisco, Mexico. Juan’s love for animals started at a young age. From the many cats and farm animals on his family’s land to his cherished brahma bull that he would ride bareback down to the river, it was evident how much animals meant to him.

Juan arrived in the United States in 1968. He quickly found work at a Fabric Warehouse. In 1970, his life would be forever changed when he met his beautiful wife, Annie, at Church. They were married on Feb 11, 1973. The neighborhood of Watts in Los Angeles Ca. is where they settled down and decided to call home. Their first child, Juan (or as we all know him as John or Johnny), arrived on Jul 29th. 2 years and 1 day later, on Jul 30th, their daughter Felis was born. Soon after, Juan moved to a job in Construction with the help of Annie’s father, Jesus.

On Jun 15th, 1980, Juan and Annie’s 3rd and final child was born. Little Olivia or as Juan would call her, his little penguin. Shortly after Olivia’s birth, the family moved to Riverside, Ca., where they continued to live.

Juan continued to work in Construction as a pipe layer for 46 years, until his retirement in 2009. Juan would tell stories of his life in construction as he once told his son, Johnny, “I think I laid all of the pipes for the entire city of Los Angeles”. Retirement was not going to slow Juan down. It allowed him the time to do activities he could not do before. He would spend countless hours in his backyard with his pigeons, chickens, goats and especially the horses. He loved spending time with his cat and dogs as well. He would peruse the Swap Meets looking for broken machines that he would bring home to fix, specifically lawnmowers. He enjoyed fixing things that were broken and making them like new again.

Retirement brought Juan joy in the fact that he was able to spend more time with his family. This included spending time with his 3 grandchildren, Patrick, Robert, and Grace. He enjoyed attending Patrick and Robert’s baseball games and Grace’s many pageant events. He was very proud of them and would do anything they asked. He lived for his family.

Johnny, Felis and Olivia were his greatest achievements. He would fill up with joy and extreme proudness watching Johnny show his miniature horses. They spent many hours together in the backyard increasing their bond with horses and animals in general. He was proud of Felis’s military journey and her compassion in assuring he was well and taken care of. Olivia was his bosom buddy. They would go on many adventures together, whether it was accompanying him to the swap meet or their many shared meals together at Taco Bell or In and Out.

Juan was a very selfless person. He was always there to help anyone in need. There are many examples of his kindness and willingness to put others first before himself. He would drop what he was doing to assist anyone.

Juan is survived by his wife Annie, his son Johnny, his daughters Felis and Olivia, his son in law Jason, his son in law Jay, his grandsons Patrick and Robert, and his granddaughter Grace.

A visitation for Juan will be held Tuesday, September 19, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Mortuary, 11500 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92505. A rosary service will occur Tuesday, September 19, 2023 from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM, 11500 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92505. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, 11500 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92505. A committal service will occur Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park, 11500 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92505.

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