Apolonio Arias Palomo

Apolonio Arias Palomo AKA Paul Palomo passed away surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren on July 4, 2025, in Visalia, CA. He was born in Aguaje de Los Castillo, Armadillo de los Infante, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, on February 9, 1938. Paul was preceded in death by his parents Isabel and Angela Palomo, his brothers Jaime Palomo and Robert Palomo, his sisters Gracie Palomo and Jovita Palomo, and his grandson Lawrence Palomo Jr. He is survived by his wife of 57 years Mary June Palomo, his five children Paul Palomo of Exeter, Larry Palomo of Visalia, Leah Daugherty (Julian) of Visalia, Apolonio L. Palomo of Woodlake, and Regina Ruiz (Larrhy) of Bakersfield, his siblings Arturo Palomo and Estela Aguirre, of Woodlake. Irma Alvarez of Berkley, CA, and Paula Luna of the Venice Hill area. Jose Palomo of Exeter and Vera Vaca of Visalia. Paul is also survived by ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Paul immigrated with his family to Harlingen, Texas, in 1945. Harlingen is where Paul would grow up. As a young child, he spent a lot of his time with his cousin Mike; they would run through the downtown area of Harlingen, sometimes catching a ride on the train to Brownsville. From an early age, Paul was a diligent worker and learned how to earn his own money. He would work various jobs from shining shoes to working for the Circus when they came to town. He would use the money he earned to attend the movie theatre. He loved to watch cowboy movies in the late 1940s and 1950s. In the hot summers, he would frequent the Lon C. Hill public pool. He attended Davey Crockett Elementary School, often unable to complete full school years due to fieldwork that began in May, before the end of the school year. Paul completed the seventh grade at what is now named Memorial Junior High School, and after that, he was not allowed to continue his education. As the oldest in the family, he became the primary driver when traveling with the family and also helped support the family. This was the reason he was unable to join the U.S. military as he desired due to his responsibilities as the oldest son. Paul had a love for the 1950s era when he was a teenager. He loved classic cars, diners, baseball, Hollywood, and Mexican Cinema. As a teenager, Paul worked at the local supermarket, H-E-B, and other places such as the local golf course. With his family, they migrated throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Michigan, and Nebraska before settling in California in 1957. For a brief period, Paul met his first wife and returned to Harlingen in 1959, where his oldest son was born at Valley Baptist Hospital in 1960. Shortly thereafter, they returned to California, and his second son was born a year later in Tulare, CA.

Paul’s family first moved to Fresno, CA, in 1957 before settling down in Woodlake, CA. From then on, the family continued to follow the various harvest seasons in the Central Valley. Paul met and married Mary June Barnes in 1968. After they were married, they stayed in Woodlake and built their family. Paul was later employed working in Janitorial Services for Kmart in the 1970s, then at the Woodlake Memorial Building from 1980 to 1988. He then worked for the Woodlake School District for 25 years, retiring at the age of seventy-eight. At his retirement, the school honored him for his years of service and excellent work, referring to him as “Batman” because he worked after hours, keeping the school clean and therefore safe for the children and staff. Paul had one of the most incredible memories anyone could have. He remembered everyone’s birthday, anniversary dates, the places his siblings lived, when they got married, and the names of all of his past co-workers. He would also recall the specific areas he and his family traveled through over the years, remembering the names of all his elementary school teachers, his childhood friends, and particular details of every event he had experienced throughout his life. After retirement, he returned to Harlingen for a visit after over 40 years and was able to describe the scenery and roads as if he had just been there the day before. He took his family on a tour of his dad’s daily route to work at the local Icehouse. He remembered the back roads when traveling from San Antonio to Harlingen and throughout southern Texas; it seemed he had a photographic memory of the area and small towns like Sinton, Texas. Paul loved to share all the stories he had experienced with his siblings and parents throughout his childhood and adulthood. Even before Paul retired, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, taking them on bike rides and ensuring they had plenty of outdoor play. He enjoyed traveling to the Southern California area to visit his daughter and her children. Paul loved to visit with and get to know people; he enjoyed learning about their families and backgrounds. He was always interested in History and learning about various places in the world. Until his passing, he was known to quote things his mother and father would say to him while growing up.

Services will be held on August 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Woodlake Cemetery, followed by a reception at Valley Oak Middle School in Visalia, CA, at 1:00 p.m.