Ruben M. Estrada

Ruben was born October 19, 1936 in a copper mining town in Morenci, Arizona. It was a very humble down to earth childhood rich with adventures and explorations with his older sister Esther and younger brother Casey Jr. along with the neighborhood kids going where they were not supposed to go, mom Anita cooked from a wood burning stove. By 1944 his father, Casiano, moved the family to Boyle Heights, CA.

There the neighborhood kids would find new adventures like placing pennies on train tracks and playing under the infamous Los Angeles bridges. Eventually they would move to the City of Commerce, CA. Ruben was a proud graduate of Catholic school Cantwell High, Montebello, in 1955, back when it was an all boy school. He then embarked on his new adventure by joining the US Military Services.

First he was enlisted as a Marine but quickly realized he had more passion for the Air Force and transferred in October, 1955. He had wanted to be an air force pilot but unfortunately his eye sight kept him from meeting that goal. So he decided to learn how to work on the air force planes. He said, “If I can’t fly the planes than I will make them safe enough for our pilots to fly them.” There was a poem that meant the world to him.

High Flight

-by P/O John Gillespie Magee RCAF

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, nor even eagle flew -

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

His military journey took him to Italy and Germany while being educated and learning his engineering craft. During one of his home visits he met his future best friend and wife, Adeline (Addy) and by 1960 they were married. Although he finished his service in 1960 his Honorable Discharge certificate reflects November 1962. Perhaps they were a little behind on their paperwork?

Ruben and Adeline raised their kids Mark, Albert, Phillip and Adrienne in Rowland Heights, CA in a little 3 bedroom home. To maintain their home Ruben worked hard as an Aerospace Engineer. He was one of the engineers that had dark framed glasses and pocket protectors. Recently he shared with me that during the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, he and one of his co-workers marched down to the military office and volunteered to be reinstated and sent downtown to help the police. They appreciated their actions and took down their names in the event it was necessary.

The aerospace industry had many ups and downs which meant at times he would be laid off, but he never stopped working. In fact, there was a time that he would hold down 3 part time jobs just to keep the roof over his family’s head and food on the table. He was never too proud to work at a gas station, doing construction, working for Wonder Bread or delivering corn dogs until the job market picked up again. Eventually it did and by 1974 he was able to move his family to a larger house in the hills of Rowland Heights.

As an Aerospace Engineer, his work involved him with the Apollo shuttle, many satellites and to be honest, projects he could never talk about. He accrued many training certifications up at Crystal Lake and earned his Associates Degree at Mount San Antonio College.

Then there was Ruben’s passion for music. Anything 40’s & 50’s and ANYTHING played by a big group of mariachi’s. When it was time for the weekend chores to begin the stereo would be blasting Sinatra, Elvis, Orbison, Big Band Swing and Mariachi’s.

However, life wasn’t all about work and chores. During the summer Ruben would pile the whole family in the station wagon and take them on the road for camping and fishing. Board games and family movie night with popcorn and root beer floats would be in order Friday or Saturday night.

As grandchildren were being added to the family he made sure they enjoyed music and dancing. His five grandchildren, Amber, Adam, Cora, Celia and Sabastian had special places in his heart. There were many times you could see him and his grandchildren singing the Bare Necessities just like Baloo and rubbing their backs up against the walls of the house.

It was very important to him that his family grew on a foundation of the Catholic Church. Mass was every Sunday and if the kids behaved breakfast at Sambo’s would be our reward. I know God saw him as a church builder because he gave generously to whichever parish we were attending. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Rowland Heights is the one he would finally settle in and watched it grow from a small building to a much grander church. There were always plenty of Catholic papers and books around the house to help maintain his relationship with God. After he read about a Saint he would always feel like he’s not doing enough, but he was wrong. He gave and gave and gave by helping out his wife with props for her catechism students or picking up another biography of a Saint for me or making sandwiches for the poor and giving to practically every charity that wrote him a letter.

We welcome you in celebrating Ruben’s life with his family and friends.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Viewing: 5-7:00pm

Rosary: 7:00pm

Location: Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum

2161 S Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Friday, August 26, 2016

Mass: 11:00am-12:00pm

Location: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

1835 Larkvane Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 (626) 964-3629

Interment: Immediately following the mass

Location: Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum

2161 S Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Reception: The Estrada’s in Rowland Hts.