Merced Aguayo

Merced Aguayo was born on September 24, 1932 in Nochistlan, Zacatecas, Mexico. He was the second born of six children, to Pablo and Agripina Aguayo. His childhood was spent working on the family farm with his three sisters and two brothers. They spent long days harvesting the land and looking after the livestock. He spent his childhood and young adulthood helping his parents provide for their family. This meant the sacrifice of education, but it was important to him to put family first. Despite not finishing his education, he became a man of great wealth.

Growing up in a small town, everyone knew each other. Women would gather water for family from the local river. One day while in route, Merced approached Rita and sparked up a long conversation. She made an impression, as he returned the next day, asking her to be his girlfriend. They dated about two years before marrying on March 1, 1958 at San Francisco de Asis. Merced was 25 and Rita 18 when they wed. They were soon blessed with a son Oscar, then another son Pablo and daughter Yolanda. Family was still number one to Merced, so he made the decision to travel to the United States by joining the Braceros Program in hopes of providing a better living for his wife and children.

For three years, he made another sacrifice living apart from his family while in the Unites States, however would return to visit Rita and his children periodically. Their family blessings grew, adding another son Manuel and two daughters Blanca and Raquel. The family was struggling so he knew he needed to move them all to the United States for a better future. Setting a goal, he and Rita worked days and nights for a year to earn enough money for the move. Driven, they each continued to work hard jobs to provide and buy their very first home in the United States. In 1971, they settled in Santa Ana, California where their last son was born, Hector. In 1994, after 23 years in Santa Ana, Rita and Merced relocated to Mission Viejo, California. Still, Merced never forgot where he came from often visiting his home town in Mexico.

Merced is survived by his wife Rita of 63 years, 7 children, 16 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. His favorite baseball team was Dodgers but still rooted for the Angels. He also liked watching the Seleccion Mexicana soccer and boxing, and attended all his grandchildren's events, but it was the close knit family bond that made him the proudest. As a devout Catholic, he looked forward family lunches following mass service. He dedicated his life to providing for his family, showing his children the value of hard work, and being the best grandfather. His presence will be missed every Vegas vacation, UFC fight night, birthday, holiday, and celebrations. His Legacy will carry on…Family is Number One.