Pioquinto Gonzalez Maldonado

He is survived by his wife, six children, ten grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

He came to the United States as a Bracero. He worked as a railroad worker in Texas and eventually moved to California where he raised his six children along with Angelina Maldonado. He held many jobs in construction over the years. He was a hardworking man whose main focus was his children. He was a loving and caring father.

He was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for his family and friends. Everyone who went to his home was always offered something to eat and drink as soon as they walked in the door.

The family will receive friends and family on Sunday, March 22, 2015 from 4-8pm at Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary in the Valley View Chapel. A funeral service celebrating his life will be held the following day, Monday, March 23, 2015 at All Souls Mausoleum at 11:00 am located at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery adjacent to Montecito Memorial Park in Colton, California.

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Pioquinto Maldonado was born May 5, 1930 the youngest child of seven to Ascencion Maldonado and Maria De Jesus Gonzalez in Arteaga, Michoacan, Mexico. His father was a farmer and traveling merchant, selling his crops in northern Mexico and buying products from the north to sell in the south. In those days education was not as valuable, as hard labor in the fields, for young men so Pioquinto only went to school for three years.

He and his brother, Ramon, came to the United States to search for better opportunities. They came as part of the Bracero Program in 1944. He painted his mustache to give him the appearance of a stronger mature man. He worked on the railroad in Ohio towards the end of WWII. He returned to Michoacan and used the money he had earned in the US to establish a small business. A few years later the brothers decided to try their fate again in the US. They worked in cotton gins and for petroleum companies in Texas, Oklahoma, and Detroit. After some time, one of their bosses in Texas sponsored them and they continued to work with him in Texas for four years.

During one of the trips back to Mexico in 1959, Pioquinto was entranced by a beautiful young woman he met working at a clothing shop. He courted her for six months. On August 17, 1959 he married Angelina Alvarez. His boss in Texas later sponsored her also and she came to live with him in Texas where they lived for three years. In 1963 they moved to California. They were blessed with six children during their marriage: Jorge Antonio, Richard, Martha Angelina, Pioquinto Jr., Carlos Alberto, and Veronica Edith. He had a tremendous love for his children. He enjoyed going on family outings. They often went to the zoo, the beach, camping, Disneyland, and Busch Gardens. Church was also a priority for the family. The children attended Catholic schools.

Throughout his life his hobbies varied. During his younger years in Mexico he enjoyed hunting. He established a fishing and hunting club in Arteaga with his friends. Later in life he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends having home parties and barbeques. He also enjoyed his automobiles. He especially liked his yellow 1968 Dodge Crew Cab Powerwagon and his white CJ5 Jeep.

When he settled in California he started his own landscaping business. He later got into construction. In 1963 he became a member of the General Laborers Local Union No. 300 in Los Angeles, CA. He was able to succeed in this area because of his strength and experience. His charisma with the inspectors also contributed to his success. Pioquinto became an expert at plumbing and concrete work. With that experience he was able to contract side jobs for himself. In 1974 while working at a job site he sustained a serious back injury that forced him to stop working in construction. Together with his wife, they became owners of a Mexican bar and grill. They ran the business for a few years. After that his focus became his children.

During his retirement he always made it a point to bring the family together. He accomplished this by offering them their favorite dishes which included menudo, tamales, birria, carnitas, and his famous chile de molcajete. He loved to entertain at his home in La Mirada. There was always food, beer and adventurous tales from his youth.

In 2008, while building his dream home in Mexico, he suddenly felt ill and returned to California. Soon, thereafter, he suffered a stroke which left him disabled. On March 15, 2015 he peacefully passed away at his home, in Fontana, surrounded by his loved ones.