She was preceded in death by our Father and her husband of 58 years Roy Vela, her parents, two sisters and two brothers.
Mothers love us first, they love us most and they love us best, our Mothers love will never be forgotten.
Genevieve mostly known as Bonnie was born in Lingle, Wyoming in 1931 to Marciano and Guadalupe Lopez. She lived on a farm there till she was 14 years old and the family moved to Seattle to be near her older sisters and their husbands.
The family resided in the Georgetown area of Seattle and she attended Cleveland High School and for a short time West Seattle High School. The family home became an open home to the Mexican – American community to gather, eat and share memories.
In 1951 she met Israel (Roy) Vela at a service club dance and within (3) months they were married – he always told everyone that “she was the love of his life”. Dad at the time was stationed at Fort Lawton until he was sent overseas during the Korean War serving as a Medic. Once he returned to the states he was stationed and worked at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC and sent for Mom and their first child, Mario to live with him. Once he was discharged they came back to the Northwest to make Seattle their home.
Two more children followed Toni and Cathy and the family moved to Riverton Heights a suburb of Seattle where Mom worked for many years at the South Central School District and the elementary school we attended. She met many friends there and loved that it was walking distance from our home and the hours were perfect because it was really important for her to be at home when we got home from school.
She loved music and loved to dance, she was a true patriot to all her family and all that it included, she had a multitude of friends who enjoyed her food and her wit, which some might have called sarcasm with a wink and a smile.
She shot from the hip, always told you the truth whether you wanted to hear it or not and stood by your side when in need. Her greatest joy in life was being a wife, mother and grandmother.
Mom left behind a legacy of love in her three children Mario (Jennifer) Vela, Toni (Marc) Wildoner and Cathy (Gary) Cruz, her brother John (Anne) Lopez, her sister Teresa Cortes, and nine grandchildren and three great-children.
She will be greatly missed by so many friends, nieces, nephews, god-children, and others who met her even for a moment of her love-filled life.
A small immediate family only service will be held due to Covid restrictions but our family is planning a Celebration of Life for Mom once restrictions are lifted so that others may share their love and memories of our beautiful soul, who is gone but not forgotten.
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