Juan Manuel Vallejo

Juan Manuel Vallejo was born in 1951 in Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, a small town in Los Altos de Jalisco. In January 1960, he ventured to the United States with his mother and siblings to reunite with their father, settling in Watts, Los Angeles. Juan Manuel often spoke fondly of growing up in a close-knit neighborhood where children played baseball in the street, neighbors looked out for one another, and where his family was deeply involved in San Miguel Church Parish.

From a young age, Juan Manuel understood responsibility. One of eleven siblings, he worked tirelessly to help support his family, including picking fruits and vegetables in agricultural fields during harvest seasons. He graduated from Huntington Park High School in 1970. Though drafted during the Vietnam War, Juan Manuel received a hardship exemption—supported by letters from priests at San Miguel Parish—recognizing his essential role in helping provide for his parents and siblings. In his early adulthood, he worked as a delivery driver for Cameron Medical, at the General Motors plant, and took business management courses at Cerritos College.

At sixteen, Juan Manuel began dating the love of his life, Martha Moreno. Both were born in Jalostotitlán, had known each other since infancy, and came from families who were compadres. Their bond endured for more than five decades. They married on May 27, 1972, beginning a partnership marked by devotion, struggle, forgiveness, and deep love.

In 1975, Juan Manuel and Martha moved to Placentia when he began working at Alpha Beta grocery store as a custodian. Through diligence and determination, he rose to become a manager in the meat department, earning multiple awards for outstanding customer service. After suffering a workplace injury, Juan Manuel—never one to surrender to hardship—began to imagine building something of his own.

With his wife’s inheritance, Juan Manuel opened a small grocery store in Lynwood, on the border of South Central Los Angeles, near where his family lived. That store, La Rioja Ranch Market, became far more than a place to shop—it grew into a lifeline for community members, new immigrants to the United States, and extended family. Like many family businesses, it was sustained over the years by the shared efforts of family members who worked alongside Juan Manuel as the store took root and grew.

The first La Rioja served a diverse, working-class community of Latino and Black families, many of whom were struggling. Juan Manuel extended credit freely, kept handwritten tabs for customers who could not afford essentials, and often gave groceries away to those in need. During the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings, when many nearby businesses were burned to the ground, La Rioja remained untouched and protected by community members. Juan Manuel believed this was because of the trust and respect built through years of service and care to those in the community. As he once said, “If you didn’t have money, we wrote it down in a little book. You paid when you could.”

Juan Manuel and the family went on to open large full-service grocery stores in Anaheim, Fullerton, Santa Ana, and Buena Park. Each blended a Western ranch motif with culturally rooted offerings—panaderías, full-service carnicerías, fresh produce, and beloved Latino products. Beyond groceries, Juan Manuel created opportunity. As his children grew, they worked in the stores from young ages, with Johnny eventually directing the Anaheim location, Ezra as a manager at the Santa Ana store, and Nichol working as a cashier in Fullerton. Juan Manuel pioneered informal check-cashing systems for immigrants who lacked access to banks and credit so that they could cash their paychecks, he gave jobs to literally anyone who asked—new immigrants, relatives, and his children’s friends—and helped countless people establish related businesses. He was especially compassionate toward the unhoused individuals living near his stores, often offering food, money, and, when possible, a safe place to sleep in the store’s warehouses so they would not have to endure the cold or danger of the streets at night.

After his passing, the family discovered many letters and cards Juan Manuel had kept from former employees, customers, and friends. They told stories of first jobs, credit extended during desperate times, quiet loans given without expectation, and lessons learned that allowed people to open businesses of their own. Repeatedly, people credited Juan Manuel with changing the course of their lives. His generosity was sincere and uncalculated—he helped simply because he could and because he cared.

Juan Manuel was not without flaws. He was human, stubborn at times, and imperfect. But his heart and generosity was vast. He believed deeply in forgiveness and loyalty. Above all, he loved his family.

True to a promise he once made to his children, Juan Manuel and Martha purchased horse property in Yorba Linda in 1996 and built a horse ranch with as many as ten horses at a time. Juan Manuel found joy riding the Yorba Linda trails in traditional Mexican style with elaborate hand-tooled leather saddles and Western wear. With the help of a trainer from Mexico, he even taught his horses to dance in the Charrería tradition, which he often showcased at parties.

His children—Johnny, Nichol, and Ezra—remember their father as an extraordinarily hard worker who taught them discipline, resilience, and a deep work ethic. They also remember him as a consummate host who delighted in bringing people together, especially for pay-per-view boxing matches, major sporting events, and holidays. He welcomed his children hosting large gatherings at their Yorba Linda ranch, including Hawaiian luaus complete with pig roasts and dancers. But celebrations were only one expression of Juan Manuel’s hospitality. He never met a person who did not become a friend. Race, religion, politics, or background never mattered—if you entered Juan Manuel’s home, you were treated like family.

After selling the La Rioja stores, Juan Manuel took pride in working alongside his sons. He opened several small stores with Ezra and later worked for Johnny’s distribution business, eventually running his own route. He worked until just months before his passing.

Juan Manuel’s soul ascended peacefully to heaven on Thanksgiving morning, having shared exactly fifty-three and a half years of marriage with his beloved wife, Martha. She shared that through every challenge and joy, they remained together, learning to forgive, to endure, and to love deeply. Juan Manuel never stopped expressing how proud he was of his children and grandchildren. Coming from such humble beginnings, their accomplishments were his greatest source of pride.

In the days following his passing, the family received hundreds of calls from people whose lives Juan Manuel touched—people who said he helped them survive, succeed, and belong in a new country. He sponsored work visas for many individuals and helped many others gain legal status through the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act amnesty, opening pathways of lasting upward mobility for families throughout Southern California.

Juan Manuel Vallejo is survived by his wife, Martha, his children: Johnny (Jody), Nichol (Victor), and Ezra (Michelle); his grandchildren: Diego, Mayaluna, Keila, Liam, and Mila; and 9 of his brothers and sisters: Gilbert, Ezequiel, Rosa, Raul, Jose Asuncion, Leticia, Evangelina, Carlos, and Alfredo, as well as dozens of cousins, nieces and nephews whom he loved fiercely and loyally. He was preceded in death by his parents, Juan and Cele Vallejo. His beloved sister, Sylvia Hernandez, passed away just two weeks after him.

As the hundreds of people who called his wife and children in the weeks after his passing relayed, Juan Manuel Vallejo will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as a man who built something from nothing, who lifted others as he climbed, and who loved imperfectly but deeply. His generous spirit lives on in his children, his grandchildren, and the countless lives he lifted, leaving a legacy of generosity, giving back and deep care for others that will endure across generations.

The Funeral Mass will be held on January 16, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Church in Yorba Linda, California. The Mass is open to all who wish to attend. A private family reception and memorial will follow.