Roberto Lara Oseguera

To Roberto Lara Oseguera, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Roberto, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Roberto really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Roberto was born on February 5, 1929 at home in Tanhuato. His parents were Jose Maria Ochoa and Refugio Lara. Roberto was raised in La Piedad, Michoacan. Even as a child, Roberto had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Roberto was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Roberto managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Roberto was raised with six siblings - four brothers and two sisters. Salvador, Rafael, Enrique, Anita, Chela and Nino.

All of Roberto's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Roberto experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. In his spare time he liked to play or coach baseball. Roberto's memorable achievements included teaching himself to read, write, do math and pass the citizenship exam.

Roberto never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Roberto to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Roberto delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Roberto was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Roberto utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were his brothers and sister, Salvador, Lupillo, Rafael, Enrique, Chela and Anita. Later in life, he became friends with Lupe and Louie Duran, David and Rosa Pena, Che and Helen Pena, Enrique and Carmen Garcia, Augustine and Maria Saavedra, the Farjardo family, Robert and Eleanor Cruz, Marta and Lino Alvarado. Roberto loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Roberto very easy to approach. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Roberto related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Roberto was blessed with eight children - five boys and 3 girls, Ruben, Amalia, Alfonso, Jesse, Robert, Lupe, Frankie and Ruthie. They were also blessed with twenty nine grandchildren, Ernie, George, Ruben Jr, Alex, Christina, Jose, Juan, Esmeralda, Jessica, Silverio Jr, Jesse, Alfonso Jr, MonaLisa, Patty, Crystal, Daniel, Antonio, Mariana, Carlos, Michelle, Brandon, Brian, Monica, Annissa, Hope, Zachary, Vanessa, Stephanie, Michael and Lissett, forty four great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren. Roberto had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Roberto's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Roberto had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Roberto was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Roberto liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Roberto was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Roberto's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Roberto as an excellent problem solver. He farmed a grape field for over ten years, and worked for Champion Auto Parts for over twenty years.

Roberto was in Ejercito Mexicano Servicio Militar Nacional. He was stationed in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.

Roberto enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Roberto liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were watching sports, playing baseball, coaching, attending his children and grandchildrens events, cooking, gardening and tending to his animals. Roberto was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Roberto felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Roberto loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Roberto relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Roberto never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included baseball and a five mile race. Roberto was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, football and soccer.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Roberto recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member at Saint Mary Queen of Apostles for over forty years.

Naturally outgoing and generous, Roberto was regularly doing things for others. For him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Roberto was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included Salsa contest and Tamale contest.

Living life in the fast lane suited Roberto just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included trips to Mexico to visit his family, the coast, Disneyland, and Knott's Berry Farm and weekend trips.

Roberto was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. One of Roberto's favorites was his dog Red and all of his farm animals. They were best friends for he had Red for ten years. His family was rounded out by his goats, pigeons, doves, chickens, cat and dogs.

Roberto believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1991, Roberto took it in stride as one more way to have fun. His new life involved relocating to Fresno, California. With his boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Roberto remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, he found new pleasure in watching his grandkids play sports, traveling, spending time with family and friends. Even in retirement, Roberto continued to stay in touch with his old friends and, since he'd never met a stranger, he made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Roberto passed away on October 28, 2010 at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California due to heart disease, kidney failure and lung disease. He is survived by his five sons and two daughters, twenty nine grandchildren, forty four great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren, brother Salvador Ochoa, and many nieces and nephews. The Recitation of the Rosary was at Tinkler Funeral Chapel & Crematory and the Mass at St. Mary Queen of Apostles. Roberto was laid to rest in St. Peters Cemetery in Fresno, California.

Roberto brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Roberto Lara Oseguera lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.