At the age of 23 in 1982, Manuel met Juanita Gamboa, and one year later, on January 10th 1983, they were married. The following year, on March 3rd 1984, their first son was born, Raul Castanon. On the following year, their second son was born on June 14th 1985, Manuel Alejandro Castanon. As a family, they lived together for a few years in Zacatecas. It wasn’t until September of 1987, that they migrated to the United States.
During the early years in the United States, Manuel and Juanita lived in a few apartment complexes while working to provide for their kids and reach their goal of owning a home. In April of 1995 they were able to purchase their first home in La Puente, CA. Manuel worked for 20 years as a night shift supervisor; always setting an example for his family and showing that hard work pays off. With this strategy in mind, Manuel and Juanita would successfully venture into establishing their first business in April of 2006 - Juanita’s Flowers & Botánica. In 2010, Manuel left his full time job to expand and help grow the business.
At the age of 56, Manuel met and welcomed his first grandson in June of 2015, Jayden Castañon, son of Raul and Nancy Castañon. On the following year, Manuel was ecstatic to meet his first granddaughter, Jennika Castañon, born in September of 2016. Manuel would once again be excited to learn that he would have another granddaughter; in September of 2017, he met Anabelle Marie Castañon - daughter of Manuel and Josie. In the years to follow, Manuel spent countless hours with his grandkids; from watching them play to feeding them and showering them with hugs and kisses. In 2021, Manuel would once again learn that he would be a grandpa but unfortunately, God had other plans for him.
On April 27th, 2021, Manuel passed away at the age of 62. Manuel is survived by his wife, Juanita and two sons, Manuel Alejandro and Raul. Although he’s no longer with us in person, his spirit and memory lives on in all of our hearts. Time may heal wounds, but we will never forget him. We love you, Dad!
v.1.1.3