Celia Campos

Celia Campos Galaviz Loera passed away on February 16, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada at 103 years old. Although small in stature, she was large with the influence she had on the many people that knew her over her long life.

Celia was born on June 22, 1920, in Metcalf, Arizona, the daughter of Maria Cruz Loera and Pedro Galaviz. Her brother and father both worked at the Morenci Copper Mine, and both tragically died from mine-related incidents when she was very young. The Great Depression caused the mine to be closed, so Celia’s mother and siblings relocated to Aguascalientes, Mexico, to be near their family. Even though she had a tragic childhood, Celia found her life to be quite joyful for the years she lived in Morenci. Celia loved her school, her friends, and cried for many years when they left.

She attended elementary school in Arizona speaking, reading, and writing English fluently, which would serve her later in life. When she began school in Aguascalientes, some children teased her because her Spanish reading and writing skills were not up to grade level. This fueled her to master both English and Spanish, and she would later move on to learn Italian also. She was very eloquent and was a quick learner of everything. Her sister Margarita nicknamed Celia “the radio” because after she heard a song once, she somehow knew all the words and melody perfectly. She was always singing and reciting poetry.

At age 19, she met and married Porfirio Campos in Zacatecas, Mexico, where they started their family. They later decided to move to Mexico City where they raised their seven children. In 1963, Celia and Porfirio had an opportunity to move to the United States. California was their destination, and she resided in various areas where she made many life-long friends: Monterey Park, Rosemead, Newbury Park, Bonita, and Simi Valley. Porfirio and Celia celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary before Porfirio passed away in 2001.

Celia joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1972 and remained loyal to the faith for the rest of her life. Celia was a very dedicated homemaker, wonderful chef, lover of languages and telenovelas, and master gardener. She made beautiful crafts and loved spending time with family and friends sharing old stories with very specific details—she had an amazing memory. When asked what her secret was to longevity, she said it was eating papaya for breakfast and freshly squeezed orange juice, and ending the day with a Milky Way or root beer float. Even at over 100 years of age she insisted on helping to wash her own dishes and do her own laundry. She was very proud of her children and grandchildren and all their accomplishments. She was very good at keeping in touch. Her favorite place was to be surrounded by family and friends.

In addition to her parents and siblings, she was predeceased by her husband Porfirio (2001) and two of her sons, Porfirio Jr. “Pilo” (1997) and Gustavo “Gus” (2020). Celia is survived by her sons Sergio, Jose Luis “Pepe”, and Rodolfo “Fito” (Maricela); daughters, Silvia Haycock (John) and Irma Wijnveldt (Eduardo “Teddy”); 18 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She loved them all.

A family viewing and burial will be on Friday, March 8, 2024 at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park in Westlake Village, CA. Celia will be interred next to her husband, Porfirio, and two sons, Pilo and Gus. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the LDS Chapel at 480 Sinaloa Rd. in Simi Valley, CA. A live stream of the memorial will be available. The Campos children are grateful to all who helped care for their mother Celia, especially Pepe, to help prolong her beautiful life. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to City of Hope or the American Cancer Society, two causes that were important to her.

A visitation for Celia will be held Friday, March 8, 2024 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park, Mortuary & Crematory, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, CA 91362. A funeral service will occur Friday, March 8, 2024 from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, CA 91362. A committal service will occur Friday, March 8, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, CA 91362.