Victoria Jaimez

After many days of heartbreaking sadness, we share the news of the passing of our beloved mother Victoria (Vicky) Jaimez. She passed away at Kaiser Santa Clara on October 11, 2024, with her family by her side. She was 88 years old. She was the center of our world, a deeply caring human being, and a devoted mother, raising many children in her lifetime. Her death has left a huge emptiness in our lives. Her influence and love will always be in our hearts. Her love and caring is missed more than words can say.

Mom was born July 19, 1936 to Valente Lopez and Asuncion Gomez Lopez in San Jose, California. She grew up in the then bucolic Santa Clara Valley in the days of orchards and ranches. She loved the country and would reminisce about her childhood with her brothers and sisters and especially her mother, Asuncion (Eleanor) and brother Gilbert. In 1956 she married our dad Joaquin Jaimez Sr. She raised six kids with him until he died in 1978. She trained as a sterile processing technician and went to work full time at San Jose Hospital after becoming a widow. She worked there for 25 years and loved having coworkers and friends, and also helped raise grandchildren in this new phase of her life . After she retired, she enjoyed gardening, reading, and taking California road trips with relatives and family. She also traveled to the Netherlands and Spain. She loved the windmills and cute little towns. Mom had many small dogs in her life that were part of the family and she loved and cared for them like they were children. Her last two fur babies, Lolly and Gilbert still are waiting for her to come home.

Her last years were spent at home bravely battling Alzheimer's with her family and two dogs always by her side. Those were precious days for us. She was so full of love and appreciation, saying," I love you" and "give me a kiss" every day, despite the day-to-day health issues she was up against. She believed in God and was certain we'd all be together again, but she also loved the idea of small magical beings manifesting as birds or fairies that were loved ones visiting from heaven.

She is survived by her sons Armando Jaimez and Manuel Jaimez, and her daughters Abbygail Sell, Priscilla Shaw and Eleanor Saavedra, and embraced son Peter Howell. She has several grandchildren including Desiree Jones, Jacob Shaw, Nina Norman, Serena Saavedra, Sarah Saavedra, Sherise Saavedra, Joshua Shaw and Joaquin Jaimez Jr.III and great grandchildren Koen, Kaia, Gabriel, Ellena, and Isaac. She is also survived by her sisters Alicia Vasquez and Margaret Bushong, by her sister-in-law Eva Lopez and niece Martha Lopez. She was preceded in death by her husband Joaquin Jaimez Sr., son Joaquin Jaimez Jr. and grandson Joseph Saavedra, and siblings Danny Lopez, Charles Lopez, Gilbert Lopez, Alfred Lopez,and Emma Sanborn, and sister-in-law Andrea Salazar.