Teresa Ganoza

Teresa Ganoza Zanelli was born in Pallasca, Peru on April 18, 1914 to Julio and Matilde Zanelli. She was the second oldest of six children (Santiago, Julio, Clelia, Humberto, and Rosita). She attended a boarding school in Trujillo, Peru where she graduated high school and then returned to Pallasca where she met Javier Ganoza on one of his trips through Pallasca. A widower with three children (Betty, Doris, and Walter), they fell in love and married in 1937. They moved to Calipuy where Javier was managing the family hacienda. They had three daughters -Nancy, who was born in Lima, and Teresa and Netty who were born in Chimbote. (Teresa died at 3 months old). When Netty was two years old, Javier contracted Typhoid and died of complications. Teresa became an embroiderer to provide for her two daughters.

A big advocate of education, she encouraged her youngest daughter Netty to go to the States to learn English so she could return to Peru to find a good job. Netty, however, didn’t returnto Peru but convinced her mother and sister Nancy to come and live with her in the States. They settled in the Los Angeles area.After Netty was married, Teresa moved in to help care for her two sons, Rizal and Ian. She also spent time with her daughter Nancy and son-in-law Carlos’ family and helped with their five children (Javier, Nancy, David, Henry, and Veronica). In 2004 she moved in with Carlos and Nancy after forty years of living with Netty who moved to Canada to be with Ian and his family.

Teresa was happiest when she could care for her large garden, including her beautiful roses, and worked hard spoiling her grandchildren. Teresa had a positive outlook on the future, even near the end of her life. Each morning when asked how she was feeling, she would respond by saying, “I feel better than yesterday but tomorrow will be better.” Indeed, she was right as she is now rejoicing in Heaven.

She is survived by her two daughters, Nancy (Carlos) and Netty, two step-children, Doris and Walter (Tere), as well as her seven grandchildren, and eighteen great grandchildren.

Arrangements under the direction of Valley Funeral Home, Burbank, CA.