Elsa Thamar Velasquez

Elsa T. Velasquez will be remembered as a person who always carried a strong sense of duty and took pride in raising her children and the administration of her home. Raised with traditional “old school” morals and strong Catholic faith, Elsa was an individual who clearly communicated to those around her just who she was and what she was all about.

Elsa was born on January 15, 1938 in Cosalá, Sinalóa, México. Her parents were Salomé Felix and Francisco Guerra. Elsa was raised in Culiacán, Sinalóa and Tijuana, BC. Elsa, referred to lovingly as Muñe (short for muñeca/doll), even as a child, was very particular about her appearance. Her hair and dress bows needed to be tied just right.

Muñe was raised with one sister, three brothers and several aunts and cousins. She had two older brothers: Oscar Guerra and Victor Guerra, one older sister Gloria Camberos Guerra and one younger brother Francisco Guerra. She had an inborn appreciation for family. Muñe had the utmost respect for her mother who widowed as a young mother and worked as Director of Hospicio de Niñas de Culiacán (an all-girls school) to support her family of 6, and older brothers who worked while in college to pay for school and also provided financial support to the home. For Muñe, this was a natural order of life, one she embraced.

Muñe was a happy child who loved playing with dolls, her dog named Capuyo and her younger brother Francisco (“Pancho”). Muñe was very creative and made her own dolls out of ice cream sticks and dressed them with doll clothes she made. She and Pancho would play together outdoors in the Sinalóa heat and ultimately argued about who would get to drink the last cold Coca Cola. You would never want to be in the way of Muñe’s Coke.

After Jr. High, Muñe did not attend a traditional high school, but a vocational school instead. She graduated from Institúto Webster, in Culiacán, Sinalóa in 1955. She learned commerce which lead her into the banking industry. Muñe became a bank teller and managed business accounts. She was employed as an assistant to the Branch manager of Banco Internacional in Tijuana, BC, México.

Muñe was sociable and approachable. Because she was always straightforward in how she approached relationships, friends and family knew that what they saw was always what they got. She enjoyed the camaraderie of being with a group of friends. While growing up, her best friend was her cousin Dinora Madero. As a young adult, Muñe's best friends were Ofelia and Olivia Luna. Muñe grew up in a very close knit family of extended relatives which were also friends. At age 17, Muñe met Robert ("Beto") Velasquez who became one of her best friends from the neighborhood. They spent many an afternoon talking and laughing together. Muñe loved Beto's corny jokes. Years later, after Beto completed his service in the U.S. Airforce, Beto and Muñe married.

Muñe reveled in the security of her family. One of Muñe's most endearing qualities was her uncanny ability to remember important dates and anniversaries, and her enthusiasm for organizing a celebration for her family. When her kids were young, she learned to bake and decorate cakes from scratch. Every year, she’d organize birthday parties for each of her children making each and every cake herself. She also made both her daughter’s quinceañera, 3-tiered cakes. After each of her kids married and reached their 1st wedding anniversary, she made dinner and a cake and invited the family over to celebrate. For many years Muñe organized Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve dinner parties and invited lots of family to join in the celebrations.

For over 50 years, Muñe's primary occupation was managing her household. Of those she spent over 25 years raising five children. Muñe was ever watchful of her children. She worried about them and was deeply concerned for their development as they grew up. She maintained a firm hand in their upbringing. Muñe would give her stamp of approval to their requests, as long as she could see how they might benefit. She and Beto enforced the rules as needed to ensure that her children were properly raised. She was a mother bear who protected her cubs. She made sure her kids were receiving a good education, were being treated fairly and equally at school, and made sure her children respected their teachers. Muñe and Beto were blessed with five children, two daughters: Elsa D Juarez and Laura M. Blevins and three sons: Roberto E Velasquez, Raul A. Velasquez, and Fernando Velasquez. They were also blessed with Eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren; grandchildren: Robert W. Velasquez, Jorge A. Velasco, Enrique A. Juarez, Marissa A. Velasquez, Benjamin A. Juarez, Elizabeth T. Juarez, Iliana Velasquez, Fernando Velasquez.; great-grandchildren: Moxie L. Velasquez and Harrison A. Velasco.

Muñe approached her leisure time in the same manner that she approached her life. A person who enjoyed being neat and orderly, she appreciated the hours she was able to devote to her few hobbies. Favorite hobbies included making dresses for her daughters, planning parties for her children, dancing with her husband Beto, baking/decorating cakes, traveling, and visiting museums. Other past times included reading short stories in Reader's Digest, looking through fashion magazines and home/garden magazines. And as Beto would say, "getting more ideas" of how to update her wardrobe and home while on a budget. More recently, she joined and participated in El Club de la Amistad at Norman Park Senior Center in Chula Vista. Muñe enjoyed company and was happy to share her interests with others.

Playing by the rules was a natural thing, although not much of a sports fan, Muñe did enjoy watching a good boxing match, women's gymnastics and men and women swimming matches during the summer Olympics. She also enjoyed watching her son's play Little League baseball at Harborside Elementary when they were in grade school.

Faith was important to Muñe. She held high moral standards and instilled them in her family. She held deep spiritual beliefs that she was willing to share. She was a member of St. Rose of Lima and Our Lady of Guadalupe for over 50 years combined. She also volunteered annually with her daughter Elsa at the Mater Dei Catholic church bazaar fund raiser.

As someone who placed a high value on showing gratitude, Muñe did not seek recognition or awards for herself. What she enjoyed the most was seeing her children and grandchildren receive awards and honors which she proudly displayed on her "Hall of Champions" (hallway) in her home.

Muñe enjoyed traveling with her husband Beto. They traveled to Culiacán on several occasions to visit relatives. Some other places they traveled were to the Grand Canyon, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and a cruise to Baja. Her daughters Elsa and Laura took her on a "girls trip" to visit Catalina Island (for the first time Muñe carried her own luggage; she ensured her luggage had wheels). Most recently, they traveled along with daughter-in-law Maggie, to Playa del Carmen & Cancún, México in celebration of her birthday.

Muñe retired twice in her lifetime. She stopped working outside the home in 1964 when she married and her new role was to manage her household. Later, Muñe retired from her 2nd job as homemaker when her husband Beto retired from his county position in 1995. She informed Beto she no longer would be making sack lunches and they began to eat out daily. They routinely went out to lunch trying new restaurants, shopping, more traveling and enjoyed each other's company and conversations until Beto’s passing in March 2012. Beto was Muñe’s love, companion and confidant. She felt her life changed tremendously after his death and it took her a while to move forward with her life. Part of this new life included spending every weekend with one of her children and their families. She began to get to know each of them as adults and in their own settings. This closeness helped to enrich all of their lives.

Muñe passed away on September 29, 2016 in her residence in Chula Vista, CA. Muñe died of a rare and terminal cancer, Klatskin-a cholangiocarcinoma. Unfortunately, when symptoms of the cancer began to manifest themselves, it had already progressed to an inoperable state. The process took approximately 5 months from initial symptoms to death quickly taking her appetite, energy, mobility, speech and finally her life. Watching her decline so rapidly (from one day to another) was devastating as we could do nothing, but make sure she was as comfortable as possible and surrounded by family (which she loved). She is now at peace, but her last hours were too quick of a goodbye. She is survived by her children Elsa, Roberto, Laura, Raul and Fernando; her grandchildren Robert (Bobby), Jorge, Enrique, Marissa, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Iliana and Fernando, Jr; her great grandchildren Moxie and Harrison; and her sister Gloria. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces/nephews, cousins, second cousins, sister-in-law's and an aunt. Services were held at Funeraria del Angel Humphrey, catholic mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Chula Vista, CA. Muñe was laid to rest at Miramar National Cemetery with her husband and companion Robert.

All who knew her would agree that Muñe was an excellent mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, great-grandma and friend. She was a witty and compassionate woman who loved her family.