Celia Villarreal

I just heard of Celia's passing. I am so sorry to hear this sad news. I worked with Celia in Alhambra, she was a wonderful friend and co-worker. My deepest sympathy to her family and loved ones who must miss her terribly.

I just heard about Celia's passing today. I am so sorry to hear the news, and sorry I did not know earlier. I pray that God lifts the family up, for she is in heaven with her father, and in no more pain. My love to you all and please keep in touch.

Celia. God has blessed me greatly throughout my life and I thank him so much for blessing me with you for a sister...You have been more than a sister to me, you were and will be as long as I live, my best friend...The memories of our time together will always remain very vivid in my mind and heart...I will miss you always!'Till we meet again...I love you...

Celia was the best sister anyone could ever have. I will cherish the time we spent together and re-live those memories over and over again. I will miss you terribly but you will be close to my heart and in my thoughts until the day we meet again. All my Love always.

Celia was the best sister anyone could ever have. I will cherish our time together and re-live those memories over and over again. I will miss you alot but you will always be close to my heart and in my thoughts until the day we meet again.

Celia, you where my Sister, Friend, and a pillar in making me into the LOVING human I am today. YOU WILL FOREVER BE IN MY HEART.
Fred Javier Gonzalez Narvaez

Celia, you where my Sister, Friend, and a pillar in making me into the LOVING human I am today. YOU WILL FOREVER BE IN MY HEART.
Fred Javier Gonzalez Narvarz

While Waiting for Thee:

Don't weep at my grave, for I am not there,
I've a date with a butterfly to dance in the air.
I'll be singing in the sunshine, wild and free,
Playing tag with the wind, while I am waiting for thee.

I have been most fortunate to be a very close friend of Celia for over 25 years. I always considered her a member of my family. I first met Celia as a student in a piano class and a fundamentals of music class I taught at East Los Angeles College. After that first semester, Celia continued taking my piano class for the maximum 7 additional semesters. She was a superb student. At the time I remember being so impressed that she was working full-time and going to college 3 or 4 evenings/week. After I learned she had been taking courses for several semesters, I remember encouraging her to see a counselor, thinking she must have been close to earning her AA degree. In fact, she was. She received her AA from ELAC and then continued her studies at Riverside, earning her BA.

Throughout the years, we became very close friends. My parents always invited Celia to my birthday celebrations, and Celia always invited them to come with me to her wonderful La Fonda birthday parties. We looked forward to them every year. Celia and I had many, many marvelous times together. We went to Hawaii two different years, Maui and Kauai one year and Maui and the big island of Hawaii another year. I remember being surprised that Celia, at that time (1985) did not know how to swim. I told her we would have to snorkel in Hawaii and see those gorgeous tropical fish. So, she took swimming lessons and conquered hear fear of the water. I was so impressed. When we arrived in Maui, she practiced snorkeling in the shallow water at first, to get the hang of it. I remember hearing her excited gasps (even with the snorkel on!). She was so enthused, and, at that time, all she was seeing were some small rocks! By the time we went on the four snorkeling excursions (one on each island) during both year’s vacations, she was enthralled, as was I, with the beautiful, brightly multicolored fish. Of course, she bought a butterfly beach towel from each trip. We had great fun, taking the exhausting seven hour ride to the Seven Pools of Hana, waking up at 3:00 am to take an excursion to Haleakala volcano, drinking mai tias, having pu pu, mango and passion fruit shaved ice (which we even brought back to our hotel mini freezer).

Before Ruthie came into Celia’s life, Celia and I used to go on a local excursion each summer. We’d go to San Diego (we saw the new pandas), La Jolla, Laguna, Newport Beach, and Santa Barbara--always a place where we could lounge on the beach. We’d always have mai tais or margaritas--plenty of them. I still smile when I think of Celia falling asleep back in the hotel room while she was laying down brushing her teeth. She would never not brush her teeth. There she was, asleep, with her toothbrush still in her hand!

Regularly, we would meet for a day of lunch, shopping and a movie. We would go to the Beverly Center or Old Town Pasadena. Sometimes we would go to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, LA Opera, or the Joffrey Ballet. We didn’t see each other as frequently once Ruthie began living with Celia, but the three of us would often meet at Ruthie’s favorite place, The Cheesecake Factory, in Old Town Pasadena. After lunch we would sometimes shop or see a movie. We continued the tradition after Celia became ill. I would pick Celia and Ruthie up, and we would go to lunch, do errands, go for frozen yogurt at Golden Spoon and sometimes, take in a movie. We always had a great time.

Little memories will always be with me--how, in the old days, Celia had a handbag and pair of shoes in every color; how she would exclaim, when looking at dolls or porcelain figurines: “She has such a pretty face!”; how my father wouldn’t recognize her when she would come to their house, because every time he saw her, her hair was a different color and in a different style; how she would arrange surprise birthday parties for me at East Los Angeles College with my piano class students, getting a decorated cake, decorations, and potluck all arranged. Once Celia brought me some salsa her mother had made. She told her mother that it should not be too hot, because the way I ate chips and salsa (being a real gringa) was to “dip the chip and then shake it and hang it out to dry” to make sure I didn’t get too much salsa. Even then, Frances’ milder salsa, though most delicious, was too hot for me. I have not been able to eat chips and salsa since then, and never will, without thinking of that.

Though it is hard to believe now, I had a double major in college: Music and Spanish. I had forgotten much of the Spanish I had learned, and Celia helped me review it. When we would spend a weekend away, on the beach we would speak only Spanish. I would bring Spanish novels I had saved from college classes and read them aloud on the beach to Celia and then see if I could translate the meaning. She would correct or help me, if I needed it. She gave me a little book of dichos that I got out a couple days ago. I began reading through them again, remembering how much we laughed when I would forget the proper wording of a dicho, but stumble around en espanol, trying to explain its meaning. Inside the little book was a card: “Mi querida amiga, aqui estan al fin los dichos que te prometi. Gracias por ser tan paciente y tan buena amiga. Cuando te los apredas, te enviare otros.” She would send me some of her favorites that were not included in the book.

Most of all, I will remember Celia as a true, loyal, fun-loving, most generous and loving friend, completely dedicated to her family. She was so courageous throughout the difficult last year. She never complained to me. She was extremely brave. I would talk to her usually every couple days, sometimes every day. The only time tears would come, was when she would talk about having to leave Ruthie. She was a fighter, and had tremendous faith in God. I imagine the birthday party she had for Ruthie last month was of great importance to her and one of her last pleasures.

I will be sad without having my dearest friend for the rest of my life, but I have been blessed to have known her for so long, and she will be in my heart forever.

I send my love to Ruthie, Karla, Gloria, Bertha, Frances, Alicia, Roy and Rudy and all of her many nieces and nephews whom she loved so very much.