Emma Gonzalez

We are sad to announce the passing of Maria Emma Gonzalez of Huntington Park, CA. She died at age 82 on October 15th, 2022. After a short battle with stomach cancer, Maria Emma passed away lovingly surrounded by her children and family members.

Emma, as she was affectionately known by her family and friends, was born on February 8, 1940 to Antonio Vargas SanchezTagle and Maria Cabrera Amaro in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was a hard worker, taking on multiple jobs to help support her family. She was proud of getting her secretarial certificate. She married Gilberto Gonzalez in January 1962 and had 4 children (3 daughters and 1 son), all born in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1971 the family emigrated to Los Angeles, California. She went on to have 1 more child in the United States, her son Carlos, born in Los Angeles, California. The family eventually settled in Huntington Park where they raised their children. She went on to work with the Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher’s assistant for 23 years. She was a favorite with the children and her co-workers.

Emma was a woman who was committed and passionate about her Catholic faith. She was a dedicated long-time member of various parish groups in the city of Huntington Park, including Legion de Maria, Apostolado de La Cruz, and El Pelegrino. Her favorite pursuits were her church activities and prayer groups. For many years she was often seen on Sunday at St Francis Hospital visiting the sick and bringing them communion. As well as, many nights visiting homes with the El Pelegríno group for prayer and singing. She was a proud member of the Legion de Maria, serving as their Secretary and Vice President for many years, and the Apostolado de La Cruz, dedicated to praying for priests, religious and priestly vocations.

In her free time, she enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially her grandchildren. She would try to make yearly trips to Mexico to visit her extended family, where she was the beloved “Tia Emma.” Emma loved he ocean and had the opportunity to visit and enjoyed the beaches in Florida, Hawaii and Mexico. She also enjoyed traveling and visited the Holy Land, Paris, and took a cross country road trip to visit Washington D.C.

To say that her family and friends will miss her greatly is an understatement. Among the many church friends, she volunteered with, school colleagues she worked with, Emma was a loyal friend to many people and will be forever in our hearts.

She is survived by her daughters, Laura, Luz and Emilia; sons, Jesus and Carlos; and 14 grandchildren, Jesus Nacor, Laura Patricia, Roberto, Emily, Hugo, Luke, Matthew, Adriana, Malachi, Jesus (Tito), Daniel, Sol, Idalia, and little Zenny. As well as her younger sister, Maria Ester (Maty) and her extended family in Mexico.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Helen Catholic Church 8912 South Gate Avenue, South Gate, CA on Friday, November 4, 2022 at 11:30am followed by a Burial Ceremony at Resurrection Cemetery 966 Potrero Grande Drive, Rosemead, CA followed by a reception at Jesus and Debbie’s home 1007 N Iguala St, Montebello CA.

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