away from you.” —Luz G. Ruvalcaba
Luz Ruvalcaba born May 22, 1929 in San Bartolo on the outskirts of Tepatilán de Morelos in Jalisco, Mexico. Returned home to God on April 11, 2018. Funeral mass held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on April 20, 2018 and lain to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in San Diego, California.
God. Family. Education. The three pillars that were the foundation for Luz’s life has been passed onto every member of her family. Devoted daughter, granddaughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and aunt, Luz’s life was filled with pain and loss but also with great joy and unbelievable triumphs.
Born to Angel Gonzalez and Carmen Torres, she was the first child to survive infancy, becoming the eldest to seven brothers and a sister. With no formal education, she taught herself to read and write in both English and Spanish. She also taught herself to sew and while other children went to school, Luz made and sold a variety of goods to help support the household. At 17, she began employment at a factory making baseballs for the American Baseball League. It was there that she met the factory owner, Esteban E. Ruvalcaba (deceased, 1999). Nine months later, they married and nine months after that, gave birth to their first daughter, Irma. Son Esteban followed in 1949. In 1950, the family moved to the United States to pursue the “American Dream,” settling in San Diego. Their second daughter, Sally (deceased, 2011) was born in 1951 and their youngest, Sylvia, followed in 1961.
Wanting the best education and a home to call their own, Luz eventually sought employment, becoming a seamstress with Ratner’s Clothiers. The added income insured that her children could all attend private Catholic School and would allow the family, with her fierce persistence, to purchase a large family home and to acquire rental properties for future income.
Luz is survived by her daughter, Irma Arambula (Tony); son Esteban Ruvalcaba (Margaret); daughter Sylvia Ruvalcaba; grandchildren Anita Arambula, Barbara Crum (Jason), Catherine Arambula (Troy), Deborah Archambeau, Elizabeth Arambula (Nicole); great grandson Michael Arambula (Rosemary); brothers Salvador Gonzalez and family, Leopoldo Gonzalez and family, Jose Gonzalez and family, and Benjamin Gonzalez and family.
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