Lupe Aguilar, Jr.

Lupe was born on May 31, 1945 in Wharton, Texas to parents Guadalupe and Adela Aguilar. He was raised in Edinburg, Texas until he and his family moved to California. They eventually settled and made their home in Hanford, California.

June 7, 1962 at the age of 17 he enlisted in the National Guard’s 185th Infantry Fort Ord California. One of his duties he served was the Los Angeles Watts Riots or sometimes referred to as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising that occurred in 1965. Those times were not good memories for him, so he spoke very little of that time. He had the privilege to serve side by side with his brother Arthur Aguilar.

Lupe’s father had a barber shop in Texas so therefore he grew up watching his dad cut hair. He followed in his dad’s footsteps and attended barber school where he served Hanford and other nearby communities. He also frequently used his barber skills on his son and his grandson’s. He kept his Barber License active until 2019.

Lupe not only was a good barber, but he was also a great musician. The passion for music ran deep through his veins. He liked to sing and he played the guitar. His specialty was the bass guitar. He started playing guitar at a very young age. If you do not mind, I will quote from his own writings…

“It all started when I was very young. I would play with a little plastic guitar; it had a little crank which I would turn it and it would play a song. One day my grandfather bought me my first real guitar for $8.00. I had trouble playing it at first because it was out of tune, but my dad tuned it for me.”

You see, Lupe’s dad too was a musician and I am sure he played a big part in his love for music. Lupe has left his musical legacy to a few of his children and grandchildren, they too can strum a good tune on the guitar.

Lupe would play at numerous venues such as the Hanford Fair grounds, the Hanford Civic Auditorium, and the Hanford Theater which his band’s name was displayed there up on the Marquee. Many other venues he played throughout his life as well. His band’s name at the time when he was a teenager was called “The Gay Lad’s” He always told us the story about how the band had to change their name because they started being teased about their group name. He would say, “we thought it only meant being happy, we were innocent- minded about that kind of stuff back in those days” and then he would start laughing about it while shaking his head.

Lupe also loved to write. He would express his love for his wife and children in writing, but most importantly he expressed his love for his God. Forgiveness and compassion he expressed more in his later years. Lupe was a very intelligent man, he was always reading or writing. He attended Porterville and COS college which his focus was in Psychology.

Not many knew how funny Lupe could be. He had jokes! Sometimes they were re-runs, but many times with a different twist. He also had many stories to tell, they were always detailed and exciting to hear. Many of the stories were of his childhood and how he was so mischievous…he said his family would call him, “Lupito, guerito, traviesito”.

On the 9th of June 1966 Lupe married the love of his life Sally Barragan from Hanford, California. They settled and made their home in Hanford where they could raise their children to be surrounded by both sides of their families. Shortly after their marriage Lupe joined his wife Sally into her faith and he was baptized and became a member of the Hanford Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Sally had stayed by Lupe’s side through thick and thin until he gave his last breath. She was a devoted wife to him.

Lupe leaves behind his wife Sally Aguilar, daughters Deborah Moroles, Lisa Gutierrez, and Christina Gutierrez. Lupe also leaves behind 9 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, brothers Arthur, Robert, and Adrian, sisters Mary, Linda and Alice and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces. He is proceeded in death by his parents, his brother Edward and his son Robert Thomas Aguilar whom passed away in 2012.

Lupe will be remembered and greatly missed. He would not leave until he gave one last promise to us before his death, “I will meet you again one day at Jesus’ feet.”