Guadalupe Torres

Many things can be said about Guadalupe Torres. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive man, his compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing his charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. He was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things he sought to accomplish. Guadalupe was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around him. He generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

Guadalupe was born on May 11, 1940 in Zacatecas, Mexico. His parents were Ma. Ventura Olmos and Alejo Torres. Guadalupe was raised in Tlachichila, Zacatecas. When he was young, Guadalupe's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe him. Even as a child, Guadalupe demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around him.

Guadalupe grew up with 7 siblings: his brothers Juan, Alejo, Salvador, Jose and sisters Ma. Jesus, Concha and Cuca. Guadalupe was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with his family. He was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served him well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Guadalupe carried these traits into his adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found him pleasurable and delightful to be around. Guadalupe was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those he knew.

As a young boy, Guadalupe was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether his peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Guadalupe could easily relate to other kids. He was an active child who took part in baseball. In his spare time he liked to ride horses. However, to Guadalupe, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

Always considered a “good” friend, Guadalupe sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Guadalupe always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Guadalupe’s friends found him easy to know and get along with because of his talent for being socially at ease, adept at conversation, and always amiable in his dealings with others. Guadalupe would always seek to learn what his friends enjoyed, and he would go out of his way to make sure that their needs were met. Guadalupe was always seen as the type of person who was the more gracious giver. In fact, he sometimes felt ill at ease when he was the one on the receiving end. Throughout his life he had many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were his cousin Rogelio Olmos, Raul Flores and Baltasar Olmos.

On June 28, 1971 Guadalupe married Eudevilia Garcia at the San Agustin Church of Tlachichila, Zacatecas, Mexico. Compassionate and devoted, Guadalupe worked hard to make his new family happy. He was always generous with his time and this meant that Eudevilia came first in Guadalupe’s book. He was always caring and made certain that he considered Eudevilia’s feelings. By trusting his emotions, Guadalupe did his best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Guadalupe was truly a person of empathy.

Guadalupe’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good father to his children. Guadalupe shared these values with his five children, two sons Efrain and Jorge and three daughters Esmeralda, Perla and Rubi. Guadalupe was also blessed with seven grandchildren, Abian Carlos, Arianna Carlos, Rene Macias Jr; Thomas Macias, Sophia Belia Macias, Benicio Torres and Selma Torres. Guadalupe related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved him and he was completely and totally devoted to them.

Guadalupe experienced success in his work life over and over again. His primary occupation was his primary occupation was electrical engineer. He was employed for 35 years. Guadalupe always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by his colleagues as a team player. Guadalupe took pride in managing his professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Guadalupe was one to take the initiative and his skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Guadalupe continually sought to learn what his co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled him to help them develop their own potential.

Because he was organized and methodical, Guadalupe took great pleasure in his various hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fixing electronics and composing music. Guadalupe enjoyed sharing his passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

Guadalupe’s faith was important to him. He was a member of Holy Cross for 35 years. He was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in his work with the congregation.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Guadalupe was given accolades for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. If the truth were known, Guadalupe was always a little uncomfortable with being singled out for recognition. Some of his most prestigious awards included earning his Technician Degree.

Guadalupe enjoyed traveling, and because he was so well organized, he would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. His gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Guadalupe were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included Mexico.

When Guadalupe’s retirement finally came in 2008, he was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that he was, Guadalupe had taken care to plan for this part of his life. When that time eventually arrived, Guadalupe knew exactly what he wanted to do. His new life involved relocating to Chicago. In retirement, he found new pleasure in helping his sons fix stuff. Even in retirement, Guadalupe continued to stay in touch with his old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Guadalupe passed away on November 25, 2010, in Chicago, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, five children and 7 grandchildren. A Funeral Mass was held on Tuesday, November 30th, 2010, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois. Guadalupe was laid to rest at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Stickney, Illinois.

Throughout his life, Guadalupe was a gregarious and enthusiastic man. He was generous in sharing his personal attributes, giving and helping those he knew and loved. He would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. He was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Guadalupe leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives he touched will dearly remember Guadalupe Torres.