Adela Armida Urbano Hernandez Navarro a.k.a. Mrs. Navarro, a.k.a. Piazzadog, a.k.a. Abells, a.k.a Elsie, a.k.a. the cool mom, a.k.a. the cool aunt, a.k.a. the cool grandma, transitioned peacefully on December 17, 2022 in Banning. California. She was 74 years old.
Adela was born on April 4, 1948 – the quintessential Aries-in Riverside, California. She was the youngest daughter to Dueto Sanchez recording artists/singer/nurse, Teresita Sanchez Davis, and plumber Eliseo “Louie” Urbano, (son of Josue & Josefa Urbano), founders of El Porvenir Mexican Restaurant & Urbano Plumbing Company. Both businesses were near the historic barrios of "El Sapo" and "The Largartijo”- the neighborhoods where early settlers of the construction of the Southern Pacific railroad arrived.
Adela was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Eugene T. Hernandez and step-son Armando Navarro Jr.
Adela is survived by her husband, Armando Navarro Sr., originally of Los Angeles; her sister, Laura Valdivia of Beaumont; her two daughters, Monica Hernandez of Brooklyn, New York, and Teresa Hernandez of Miami Beach, Florida and step-son Marc Navarro of Victorville, California. She is fondly remembered by her beloved Grandchildren Marcello Fandrei, 15; Armando III, 17; La Bree Navarro, 16; and Jace Navarro, 11. Adela is also survived by a large, loving family in the Beaumont and Banning area, including the Casa dei Bambini Montessori School community in Miami Beach, Florida.
Adela was known to be a true tom-boy. She used to share stories about how her mother would send her to school in beautiful, petticoats and shiny patent leather shoes just to be ripped off and replaced by blue jeans, t-shirt, sneakers and a catchers mitt. She has been described as a talented athlete and enjoyed playing baseball with her cousins Faro Valdivia and Louie Sanchez. On a visit to Dodger Stadium with her father “Chito”, she famously caught and kept Sandy Koufax's baseball.
An avid scholar, she attended Precious Blood in Banning, where she was inspired by the Sisters to become a nun. Her cousin Marta recalls driving around in Adela’s 1966 black Mustang with friend Dorothy Lubin, and Sarah Lamb. They were affectionately called "Martha and her Adela's." For high school, Adela flourished academically at Our Lady of Peace in San Diego. Her athleticism shone, as she was voted MVP (Most Valuable Player) by the school basketball team. After graduating, Adela returned to Beaumont and left her nun dreams behind.
In 1965 she married sculptor and painter, Eugene Hernandez. He was one of 12 children and son of Gregorio and Consuelo Hernandez, founders of Consuelo’s Mexican Restaurant. The family has lived in the pass area for almost 100 years.
Although a young mother, she continued to work on her education and entered University of California Santa Barbara, completing her Bachelors of Arts and Master's Degree in History and received a Lifetime Teaching Credential in 1972.
In Santa Barbara, she revived Tubercio Vasquez’ La Esquelita school with her cousin, Dr. Marta Sanchez. The school helped many children of agricultural communities around Goleta and the Santa Barbara area receive an education. Adela believed strongly that education was the key to everything and that every child should be treated with dignity and respect. She believed that injustice for one was an injustice for all. This mindset led her to never hold back when sharing her beliefs. She actively protested against Vietnam, supported farmworkers marching with Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez and the UFW (United Farmworkers Union) and boycotted grapes and lettuce from Safeway stores.
After UCSB, she accepted her first teaching position at La Jolla Elementary in San Diego. Here, she met Maria Uhry, her lifelong dear friend and fellow teacher.
In 1975, she met Armando Navarro, introduced by his sister Olga, at a socialist rally. Little did we know they would end up being married for 48 years!
Upon their meeting, she relocated to Los Angeles, and coincidentally taught in Boyle Heights, the same neighborhood where her father, Eliseo Urbano was born in 1915. Armando and Adela started life together as a “modern” blended family, along with Armando’s sons Armando Jr. and Marc in Los Angeles.
In 1978, everything changed as Adela had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and relocated to Beaumont to be closer to the family. She survived the 12 hour surgery and after a lengthy recovery returned to the beloved classroom.
Adela taught at Central and Coombs Middle School beside her dear cousin Sylvia Partain and niece Sonya Balingit. Adela would often play music in her classes as she found it a great tool to reach all of her students. She was adamant about her students not forgetting their mother tongue and culture, as some were assimilating to English and the American way of life.
An opportunity presented itself to her where she could be a part of a special language program within the Banning Unified School District, where her cousin Olivia Hershey was Superintendent. Adela and her cousin, Sylvia Partain, visited classrooms to help teachers with their ESL (English as a Second Language) lessons and administer testing for K-12. She conducted parenting classes, acted as support staff for administrators, teachers, students and parents. She was proud to be a part of a team that was instrumental in pioneering the new Dual Immersion program in 1998. At family gatherings, she found great pride to hear her nieces and nephews speaking beautiful Spanish.
After her work at the district office, she returned to the classroom before retiring a year early to relocate to Miami, Florida to be closer to her beloved grandson, Marcello. She and Armando lived on Miami Beach overlooking the ocean and helped support their daughter Teresa and son-n-law with raising their little boy. She adored her Miami Beach life and as her grandson grew, she was asked to return to the classroom-this time as a substitute teacher -at Casa dei Bambini Montessori School. Being at Marcello’s school enabled her to see him everyday and sometimes even taught some of his classes.
Adela’s spirituality and strong connection to Catholicism, led her to SRF (Self-Realization Fellowship). She had learned TM -(Transcendental Meditation) in the 70’s and worked hard to tame her busy mind using all of her spiritual tools. She shared that her strongest connection to God was found while doing a walking meditation and yoga on the beach.
Before reaching her dream to live by the ocean, at a young age, she traveled to Mexico City many times with her mother and father. As an adult, Adela continued her travels to Mexico every summer with her grandmother Mammita, to deliver clothing and food to family in Perdenales, Chihuahua.
Her love of travel and being on the road persisted throughout her life. Her second home was a famous blue 1960’s VW camper van, which would transport the family somewhere new almost every weekend. Whether it was a symphony in Muir Woods, a play in Santa Barbara, shopping on Melrose, going to the Paramount Lot to watch a live taping of “Mork & Mindy” or a picnic at the Shores in La Jolla, California, she thought that “prior knowledge” was invaluable to human learning and personal evolution.
Adela enjoyed inviting nieces and nephews for these journeys and took others with her whenever she could. Always on the move, she ended up driving throughout Italy with her family to attend the Spoleto Theatre Festival showcasing Mikhail Baryshnikov. She loved the arts and was often cast as an actress in her daughter Monica’s college films. She traveled across the United States many times, visited Belize, Honduras, the Caribbean and Canada. One of her all-time favorite places was New York City, which she got to know well by visiting her girls, while they attended graduate school at The Actors Studio Drama School.
Everything came to a sc halt on January 6, 2018, when Adela suffered a severe aneurysm while in Banning, California. Her Casa dei Bambini community rallied around her and helped her return to Miami, where she lived in a lush, green neighborhood by the bay, with her husband, daughter and grandson. In The summer of 2022, Armando and Adela relocated back to be near family in Banning, California.
A unique and fearless soul, Adela had an unstoppable nature, boundless energy, an incredible ability to banter, a love of storytelling about her life adventures and was consistently kind to strangers. Even the late family friend Colonel Tom Parker (manager of Elvis), was drawn to her blunt approach and told her that only a calm, quiet man like Mando could handle a woman like her. He was right !
She had the unique pleasure of growing up around and working alongside her family throughout her adult life and career. She had the gift of gab, and left us with some memorable expressions, such as “Si Se Puede”, “Fake it til you make it”, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”, “We are very lucky people”, “My Mamita said, “always be kind” and “Who wants to go to Vegas!”
She will be greatly, sorely and utterly missed forever.
Special Thanks:
Dr. Joshua Choi, Beaver Medical, Banning, California
Dr. Glenn M. Fischburg, Desert Regional, Palm Springs, California
Dr. Geoffrey Colby, UCLA, Westwood, CA
Dr. Rachel Sarnoff, UCLA, Westwood, CA
Dr. Cornell Lupu, Mt. Sinai, Miami Beach, Florida
Trisha Robinson, R.N.
Ronnie Moreno, R.N.
Ron Castellanos, P.T.
The Staff of Beachwood Rehabilitation, Santa Monica, CA
California Rehabilitation in Century City, California.
Rachel Redington
Greg Marks
And the countless medical professionals and support that helped along the way! You know who you are!
For those of you who would like to celebrate Adela’s life:
Church Service
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Beaumont
1234 Palm Avenue
Beaumont, California 92223
9:30 Rosary
10:00 Mass
Reception to follow
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