Vannys "honey honey", "little mama". V Salinas

Vannys Salinas was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Her parents were Martin and Maricela Villarreal. Vannys was raised in out in the country farmlands of Panama. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Salinas household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Vannys was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Vannys was raised with a family of eighteen children. Vannys was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Vannys and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Vannys was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Vannys was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Vannys developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Vannys took part in baseball. In her spare time she liked to take care of he farm animals.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Vannys as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Vannys was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Vannys always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Vannys was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Vannys was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Vannys to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of her best friends were her sister Berlly. Later in life, she became friends with Rose/Eddie, Norma/Antonio, Leti/Jesus, Randy/Debbie.

On June 6th, 1969 Vannys exchanged wedding vows with Joel Salinas at the Panama Canal Zone Circuit Court of country of Panama. Compassionate and devoted to Joel, Vannys held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. She was a source of strength to Joel and using her gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, she worked hard to make her new family happy.

Vannys brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Vannys was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Vannys was blessed with three children; son, Joel Salinas Jr. and two daughters, Vannys Salinas Fisher and Floribeth Salinas. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, Bryan Salinas, Corey Fisher, Laura Salinas, James Fisher, Asher Fisher and Alexis Salinas.

Vannys greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Vannys enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Vannys was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was as a computer operator. She was employed for 14 years by the Armored Transport Company / Garda. Vannys worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Vannys liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Vannys always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were knitting blankets, sewing and cross stitching. Vannys was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Vannys found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, she could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. She applauded those who won, and she enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find herself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Vannys played in the school band. Recreational sports included hiking in the mountains and running in half marathons. She would watch her favorite sporting events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were watching ice skating and gymnastics in the olympics.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Vannys was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Vannys preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. Vannys was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Vannys was a member of several community groups, including volunteering her time reading to children. Politically, Vannys was a Republican.

Vannys was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church for 29 years. During that time, she was blessed by the baptisms and confirmations of Floribeth, Bryan, Corey, James and Asher. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Vannys sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. She was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Vannys many accolades for her efforts and achievements. Some of her most prestigious awards included receiving recognition for her marathon accomplishments.

Vannys enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Vannys appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Vannys always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included traveling to Hawaii with her husband.

Vannys was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Vannys’s favorites was her dog Buckwheat. They were best friends for ten years. Her family was rounded out by her finger biting parrot Cesar.

When Vannys’s retirement finally arrived in 2009, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found pleasure in spending time with her grandchildren. Even in retirement, Vannys continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Vannys Salinas passed away on April 9, 2010 at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California. Vannys battled Diabetes, then kidney failure. She is survived by her loving husband Joel Salinas and her children Joel Salinas Jr., Vannys Salinas Fisher and Floribeth Salinas, her grandchildren Bryan Salinas, Laura Salinas, Corey Fisher, James Fisher, Asher Fisher and Alexis Salinas. Visitation was held on Monday, April 19, 2010 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Funeral Services held on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 10:00 am both at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Chapel, 11500 Arlington Avenue, Riverside, CA. Interment was private by family.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Vannys Salinas. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.