Ralph Villalobos

1919 - 2020

Villalobos, Ralph 1919 - 2020 Ralph Villalobos was born July 11, 1919, in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. His parents were Salvador and Dolores; he had 7 brothers and 2 sisters. During the 1920s the family lived in Ojai, California and by 1930 they were living in Los Angeles. In the early 1950s Ralph met Maria de Jesus Cevallos. They married in February 1954, and had 5 children. They moved to a home in the City Terrace neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1960 where they joined Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) parish. Their children graduated from OLG grammar school and their life centered on the parish and their children's activities. The cornerstones of Ralph's life were his Roman Catholic faith, his family and his community. He was one of the founding members of the OLG Fathers' Club and spent decades working on fundraising and support for the church and school. He was a loving and faithful husband, father and great-grandfather who shared his lifelong sports enthusiasm with his children. He was an especially ardent Dodger fan and follower of USC Athletics (men's and women's.) He was a proud Trojan Dad and had the opportunity to meet several USC Olympians over the years. Ralph's community involvement included East Los Angeles politics and community non-profit organizations dedicated to expanding health care access to the Spanish-speaking community. He was involved with the creation of the Med Ocho ward at LAC/USC public hospital which was the first to offer Spanish language services at all levels of care to patients. In the mid 1970s, Ralph was part of an East Los Angeles cityhood movement and was a candidate for city council. Through this work he met elected officials and policy makers at all levels of government: federal, state and local and he mentored several generations of East Los Angeles politicians. For his efforts he was recognized by the California State Senate, the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Ralph achieved every goal he set for himself including living to age 100 and celebrating with family and loved ones. His final goal was to die at home surrounded by his family and his beloved dog and cat. He reached his goal when he died January 31 during his afternoon nap. His passing was peaceful and blessed. The family thanks Dr. Sergio Villegas and his team at Family Care Specialists for outstanding care, OLG parish and school and caring neighbors. Ralph's wife, Maria, died in 2013, and the family established annual scholarships at OLG School. He is survived by his children: Gloria, Patricia, Susanna, Alice and Carlos; his grandchildren: Edward, Veronica, Andrew, Angelica, Rebecca and Emily; his great-grandchildren: Edward, Gunnar, Graham, Mikayla, Natalie and Julianna; his sons and daughters-in-law: Roger Mullendore, Ed Delgado, Nelson Garcera, Susan Villalobos, James Herrera and Ashley Delgado. Ralph's great-grandson, Gregory, predeceased him in 2019. Donations in Ralph's memory can be made to: OLG Alumni Association, 436 No. Hazard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063, or at: www.olglions.org