Jose Luis Galvez

1923 - 2019

Jose Luis Galvez, 95 years old, passed away on Saturday, April 13th. He leaves behind his wife of 75 years, Lucy (Navarrette) Galvez, four sons: Joe, Robert, Ed, and Alfred, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and his sister, Maura Torres. Born in Cojumatlan, Michoacan, Mexico in 1923, he was the son of Luis and Remedios Galvez. Jose grew up in the villages of Cojumatlan and La Palma, Mexico on the shores of Lake Chapala, until leaving Mexico for the United States in 1944 at the age of 21. Soon after arriving in the United States, he met Lucy Navarrette while both were doing agricultural field work in Mendota, California. Within the year of his arrival he and Lucy married and started their family. Those early years were a struggle and full of hard work in the fields of the California central valley. In 1946 , searching for a better life for their fast-growing family, the couple left Mendota for Oakland, California. Jose's first job in Oakland was at a foundry making street man-hole covers. The work was hard and the hours long, but Jose endured. Providing for his family was his number one priority. In 1962, Jose and Lucy decided to move their family to Roseville, California, where they felt they could give their four boys a healthier environment in which to grow up. Here they settled and lived for the next fifty-seven years. Jose was never able to go to school but managed to teach himself how to read and write Spanish. With that same determination, he decided he wanted to become a U.S. citizen. He was so very enthusiastic when he finally took the oath of citizenship. This was an accomplishment among many of which he was very proud. He also loved New York City and all its iconic landmarks; Central Park, the Empire State building, the Chrysler building, the subways and most of all, the Statue of Liberty. He really loved this country and the opportunities it gave him and his family. He will always be remembered as a loving husband and father. Family and friends are invited to the Rosary on April 23rd starting at 4pm at Lambert Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be on April 24th at 1pm at Saint Rose Catholic Church. Burial will be at Roseville Cemetery following the Mass.