Mottie Morris Torres

Mottie Morris Miles was born in Fayetteville, Georgia on June 29, 1930 to the union of Mitchell Clarence Miles and Lizzie Mae Arnold-Miles. Mottie was the third of eight children and the first daughter born. Although her parents, her brothers and one sister have preceded her, the family was very close and remains close even now. Her sibling are Mitchell Clarence “MC” Jr., Lonny Jordan “Boy”, Mary Elizabeth, Lamar “Buddy”, Rufus, Shirley Ann, and Evelyn Katybell. Growing up in this family was enhanced even more by the close family ties of the Arnold branch of this family tree. In 1969 the Arnold family began having family reunions every two years alternating locations from Atlanta, Georgia to Los Angeles/Pasadena, California. The Arnold family reunion has been a consistent family gathering since its conception way back in 1969.

Mottie attended and graduated school in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduating she went to visit her great aunt Lula in Schenectady, New York. While on one of her trips to New York, Mottie met a young Korean War vet named Marcelino Torres Jr. Marcelino was born in Puerto Rico but raised in New York. The two were smitten with each other and were married in 1955. To this union their son Ricardo “Ricky” was born in October 1957. After living in Albany, New York for a few years the young family went to visit family in Pasadena, California. They fell in love with the California sunshine and beaches and decided to move to Los Angeles in1959. In December of 1960 Marcelino and Mottie welcomed their daughter Marcia Linda to their growing family. Mottie’s sister Mary and her family moved to California as well and these two sisters were inseparable.

In 1964 Mottie took a job with the Los Angeles Unified School District and moved up the ladder to become the Plant Manager of Harbor City Elementary School. She worked with teachers and with so many of the students. She was so loved that many of the students after graduating would come back to visit her. Mottie had a way of smiling and making you feel like family. The staff at Harbor City Elementary School were a very tight knit family and when Mottie retired in 1992 after 28 years staff that retired previously returned to celebrate her.

Mottie’s favorite pass times were shopping, taking care of and spoiling her three grandchildren Desmon Marquis, Krystal Breeann and Ricardo “Lil Ricky” Jr. But going to the casinos was her Disneyland. Mottie along with her sisters Mary, Shirley, Evelyn, cousins and close friends would head out to spend weekends in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. And when the casinos in California began to grow she was happy to hit them all. Mottie also played the lottery on occasion and in 2006 she was selected to participate in the California Big Spin where she won big. When the show aired a few weeks later Mottie’s tax preparer just happened to be watching and couldn’t believe his eyes. He immediately called her just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Needless to say, she had a very interesting tax season that year.

Mottie grew up honoring the Lord and attended church with her Pasadena family at Friendship Baptist Church under Pastor Lucious Smith even when she moved to Moreno Valley. She and Mary would make the long drive every Sunday to hear the Word and fellowship with their Pasadena family. When the drive became a bit too tedious Mottie joined her daughter’s church Vine-Life Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, under the leadership of Pastor Robert L. Wilks Jr. where she continued to honor the Lord. She once described pastor Wilks as a “Stomp Down Good Preacher”. With all that she did during her exceptional life, the most important part was her family. Not just her children and grands but her sisters, brothers, cousins and their children. She adored her nieces and nephews. She had a saying or what we would call a “Mottie-isum” for just about every situation. Her sayings became a part of the household vernacular. Anyone that knew Mottie recognized the wit behind each “Mottie-isum”. Even in her later years with the on-set of dementia the “Mottie-isums” still flowed freely.

Mottie is survived by her son Ricardo Torres, daughter Marcia Torres-Jackson, son in law Kipling Jackson, grandchildren Desmon, Krystal and Ricardo Jr., sisters Dr. Shirley Miles-Phillips and Evelyn Hicks and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Mottie, you have left a legacy with your family to honor the Lord and honor your family. Your work is complete. Well done. “R-E-S-T” well Georgia Peach.