Ramona Alvarez Colunga

With enormous, profound sadness and heavy hearts, the family of RAMONA (ALVAREZ) COLUNGA, also known as (RAE), said their last goodbyes to her on Sunday, August 29, 2021, one week after her 93rd birthday. Rae passed away peacefully at Redlands Community Hospital, surrounded by her beloved children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other closely-related family members, who all gathered by her side to say their final goodbyes. Rae valiantly fought full-blown Alzheimers for many years. Once diagnosed, her adult twin daughters and adult twin sons opted to render personal care to her at her home in Colton, instead of placing her in hospice. They unselfishly took excellent care of Rae for thirteen years, in the sanctity of her home, until she finally lost her hard and extended battle to the ravages of that dread disorder. Rae was one of a kind! Deeply loved by all her family members, she too reciprocated and enriched their lives with genuine, sincere, down- to-earth affection. She was great fun to be with, whether she was with family or friends. She greatly cherished her friendship with the many friends she acquired in her lifetime. She will forever be missed by all who were fortunate to have met her. Rae was born in Needles, California on August 22, 1928 to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marciano P. Alvarez. She was the first-born of eight siblings. She was raised in Needles and attended local schools there until the summer of 1944, when Santa Fe transferred her father to San Bernardino. After the family’s relocation, she entered San Bernardino High School as a junior and finished high school in 1946. Shortly thereafter, she began working with Tillie’s Funeral Home on Mount Vernon in San Bernardino, as a bilingual receptionist, where she remained for a few years. Later, she went to work for Arrowhead Towel & Linen as an assistant in the Accounting Department. After meeting and dating her husband, Ray C. Colunga, for 12 years, they married in 1958, ultimately settling in Colton, where their twin girls were born in 1960, and their twin boys in 1967. When her two sets of twins were in high school, she went back to work, part time, as a switchboard telephone operator at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, and also as an assistant in various other office positions. She thoroughly enjoyed her job, although seven years later, she reluctantly had to relinquish the job when her husband’s health slowly began to deteriorate and she remained at home to care for him. Her husband ultimately passed away in September, 1995.

Rae is predeceased by her husband, Ray C. Colunga, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marciano P. Alvarez, three younger sisters, Marcy Ponce; Mary Louise Ortega; and Lucy Gomez; her three younger brothers, Frank Alvarez; Carlos Alvarez; and Alfred Alvarez, plus a large number of nieces, nephews, as well as her beloved twin son, Leonard R. Colunga, who, for four long years, fought a fierce fight with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and ultimately succumbed to that horrific disease in November, 2018.

Ramona never met a stranger. She was very gregarious and outgoing with a delightful sense of humor, very honest and reliable with a heart of gold. She was extremely generous, considerate and caring, always laughing and/or smiling, ever at the ready to help anyone needing a hand or a handout. She had a multitude of friends, many whom she had known since childhood, and had several dozen, young and old godchildren, far too numerous to name. She was a joyful participant and greatly enjoyed playing Bingo, Bunco, and other fun activities with her friends. For several years she organized frequent bus trips to Las Vegas, as well as preparing and selling food at her annual three- day, church fund-raising fiesta to help raise much-needed funds for her parish, San Salvador Catholic Church in Colton. With the help of her children, they would prepare and sell their specialty, their deep-fried, beef tacos, always a favorite, at the fiesta. She was possessed with hands of gold when she took up knitting, crocheting, tatting, and anything else pertaining to handiwork. Her finished products were always impeccable and beautiful. It was her joy to gift her many friends with some of her handiwork. Her kitchen always had something delicious cooking on the stove, or in the fridge waiting to be heated. She loved having company, and over the years, countless weekends were always busy ones with friends and family, all gathering for cookouts and joyful camaraderie. She deeply cherished her parents and her various siblings. Her love for her four children and her husband was deep and unqualified. Always very caring and kind hearted, she particularly doted on babies and senior citizens, and especially those who were unable to do for themselves. She greatly adored her grandchildren, spoiling and treating all of them with great tenderness. She never tired of having them come to visit her, when she would pamper all of them.

Rae is survived by her two twin daughters, Mary Ellen Rubio (Rudy) of San Bernardino; Margaret Ramirez (Joey); and her twin son, Lawrence Colunga, both of Colton; seven grandchildren, Erin Rae Sanchez (Tony), Lauren Rae Colunga-Newton (Daniel), Ryan A. Rubio, Adrian J. Ramirez, Joshua R. Colunga, Christian A. Colunga (Serina), Brandon M Rubio, six great-grandchildren, Sofia Rae Newton, Aubree Ann Rubio, Emelia Rene Sanchez, Mila Rae Newton, Avalee Rubio and Ian Reyes Sanchez; and a multitude of family and friends. Also, surviving Rae is her last remaining sister, Josephine A. Partida of Pomona, California.

Rae’s three children would like to thank everyone who helped care for Rae over the years, and more specifically: Olga Ortega; Kathryn Cuevas; Rosalinda Rubio; Rachel Delfin Ramirez; Lauren Colunga Newton; Erin Sanchez; Amable Santiago; Rosa Alvarez, and all the caring staff, nurses and Doctors at Redlands Community Hospital & Redlands In-Home Health Services. Rae’s children’s unending gratitude is also extended to her primary Doctor, Dr. Mageed Samaan, who, for many years, personally and unselfishly helped counsel her children by aiding them in securing excellent medical home care for Rae when the need arose, which occurred, very frequently, during Rae’s lengthy illness. Dr. Samann was in frequent contact with Rae’s children and helped lift up their spirits when they would emotionally become engulfed with their mother’s progressive and frail condition. All these caring and compassionate individuals cannot ever be recompensed for the time and attention they devoted to Rae over the many long, overwhelming and turbulent years.

As devastating as it is to lose her, her children and her many other remaining family members are ever grateful to God for the long life He granted Rae on Earth. She was a Blessing to her large family as a loving wife, mother, a grandmother, a great- grandmother, a sister, aunt, and friend. During her long life, she graced the lives of all her beloved family and friends. She leaves a huge void and will be greatly missed. May She Rest in Peace!

A Rosary & Mass will be celebrated on October 8, 2021, starting at 11 a.m. at San Salvador Catholic Church, 178 West K Street, Colton. Following the mass, interment will be at Montecito Memorial Park, 3520 East Washington Street, Colton.