Alice Guevara

After 94 years, our beautiful and beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and “Mother Dear,” Alice Salas Guevara, passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 25, 2026, surrounded by her family at her bedside.

She was born in Santa Paula in 1931 to Concepcion and Juan Salas, who taught her about God, family, and hard work. She was one of 10 children in her family. Growing up during the Depression and living through WWII helped forge her patriotic, “can do” spirit — something she later instilled in her children.

Alice attended Santa Paula Union High School, class of 1950. She had fond memories of spending time with childhood friends such as Annie (Salas) Villar and Theresa (Tovias) Ramirez. The three were known to walk down Telegraph Road to catch the bus to Ventura, where they would enjoy the day before heading home. Other meaningful friendships from her school years included John Dickenson, Bob Schlichter, Wayne Allee, McIva Felkins, Burton Munger, Roland Rogers, and many others too numerous to mention. It was also during this time that she caught the eye of the love of her life, Henry Guevara.

She loved telling the story of seeing Henry play basketball in his pink shorts — the result of his mother accidentally bleaching the standard Cardinal red uniform — and thinking to herself that she wanted to meet that cute boy. Their high school romance soon became serious, and they were married on January 23, 1952, at the Ventura Courthouse, just before Henry was to be shipped off to the Korean front.

After Henry’s honorable discharge, the two couldn’t wait to start a family of their own, and their children meant the world to them. Charles, Brian, and Brad kept them busy through academics, sports, and the everyday joys of raising them to be honorable men.

Though she loved traveling, enjoying lunches with friends, and helping her husband with Knights of Columbus #3608 events over the years, Alice’s favorite role was that of a grandparent. She treasured her time with her grandchildren — Lenay (Manny Mendez), Kimberlee (Steve Lapointe), Brandon, and Eli Christian Guevara — as well as her great grandchildren Manny, Marcus, and Mason Mendez, and Hunter, Harper, and Hudson Lapointe. She never failed to support them in all their endeavors.

Alice had a soft spot for her furry friends, treating each one like a valued member of the family. She was even known to adopt neighborhood stray cats, feeding them, building shelters to keep them warm and dry, and once taking one to the vet in an effort to save his life.

She enjoyed many cherished friendships over the years — traveling annually with Esther and Ray Cordero to the South Lake Tahoe vacation home she shared with Henry; spending time with Anita and George Gonzalez, and Virginia (Chita) and Ruben Gomez; and exchanging homemade tamales for homemade cookies each Christmas with Dorothy and Ken Prairie, whom they met while living on Lucada Street and continued to visit after the Prairies moved to Ventura in 1970.

Alice was passionate about her work as a facility surveyor at General Telephone Electronics (GTE). She worked her way up from the switchboard to her final position as a surveyor, taking pride in strapping on her boots and climbing a telephone pole — much to her supervisor’s chagrin — to get the information she needed to make the proper connections for her customers. A memorable moment from her early years with the company was modeling for the local paper, sitting atop stacks of newly arrived telephone books ready for distribution. She also worked as a realtor in her son’s real estate office for several years, proudly helping families purchase their first homes.

Alice will always be remembered for her faith in God and the way she encouraged her family to believe in Jesus Christ. We can still imagine her saying, “Put your trust in God, hold His hand, and let Him guide you.” We couldn’t have asked for a better mother, grandmother, or sibling, and we will miss her every day. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved her.

Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Guevara. She is survived by her sons Charles (Lorraine) Guevara, Brian (Jeongsook) Guevara, and Brad (Lidia) Guevara; grandchildren Lenay Mendez, Kimberlee Lapointe, Brandon, and Eli Christian Guevara; and great grandchildren Manny, Marcus, and Mason Mendez, and Hunter, Harper, and Hudson Lapointe.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Gary M. Deutsch, her primary physician; all levels of staff at Community Memorial Hospital — from the ER to the ICU — and the many RNs and support staff on the 5th and 6th floors who treated her like a queen during her stay. We are also grateful to the staff at the Community Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility in Ojai, who watched over her as if she were their own. Special thanks to Henry Villareal, whom Alice lovingly called her “fourth son,” for always being there at her beck and call.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass on Wednesday, February 11th, at St. Sebastian Church in Santa Paula, commencing at 10:00 a.m., followed by a cemetery gathering at Pierce Brothers Cemetery in Santa Paula at 11:30 a.m. No prior viewing or formal reception will be held.