Clara P Lopez

Sunset: October 11, 2020

Clara Sanchez Perez was born to Clara Sanchez and Ascanio Perez Mendivil in the small town of Capirato in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1926. She was the sixth of their eight children and her siblings included Ricardo, Jesus, Jose Rudolfo, Ascanio, Blanca, Delia, and Guadalupe who died just weeks after she was born.

Clara’s mother died in 1929 shortly after giving birth to Guadalupe, leaving Clara to be raised by her father, a sugar farmer, and his dedicated sisters when she was just three years old. She spent most of her childhood on a ranch and cherished her time with her father.

She married Rafael Lopez (the first boy she ever kissed) on November 15, 1948 at the age of 22. Together, they moved to East Los Angeles where they raised their eight children: Ralph, Carmen, Javier, Irene, Elsa, Victor, Jesse, and Danny.

She learned English by watching soap operas like ‘General Hospital’ and ‘One Life To Live’ and she loved politics and gossip magazines. She would read the entire newspaper in English and never hesitated to share the latest news with whomever was near. She also joined a women’s group and took a few English classes in the 1960s.

As a mother, Clara was an endless source of support for her kids, constantly demonstrating her unconditional love and maintaining a special relationship with each of them over the years. Never one to judge others, she kept a smile on her face even through hard times and was constantly feeding her family, friends, and anyone she welcomed through her door.

When her kids were in school, Clara was deeply involved in their lives and enjoyed making food for bake sales, carnivals, and fundraisers. She loved sewing clothes for her kids, mending, gardening, watching her novelas, and reading the newspaper each morning. She was also a big fan of shows like ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Dynasty’ and she loved going to the movies with her husband; especially if there was a Paul Newman film out.

Clara was an incredible cook and took pride in her delicious delicacies such as frijoles, arroz, fideo, tamales, abondigas, avena, sopitas, and champurado, and too many other things to count.

When Rafael was transferred to Detroit, she and her younger children moved across the country, taking on a whole new adventure and leaving the older kids in the care of her eldest daughter, Carmen. Years later, they returned to California and settled in Lynwood where many memories were made in that little house on Platt Ave.

As a grandma to 13 grandkids, she never tired of spoiling each of them in her own way. She doted on those kids endlessly and gave them all nicknames. Whether it was by whipping up their favorite meals or getting down on the floor to play with them as they filled her living room with chairs and blankets to make forts or spread out on the ground to watch movies for hours, they were always welcomed into her home with open arms, even into adulthood. Somehow, she managed to make each one of them feel treasured and their love for her was unmatched.

Memories of their weekends spent running around her house, countless backyard barbecues, birthday parties, egg hunts on Easter, and chaotic Christmas Eve nights won’t ever be forgotten. She could put an end to hiccups with a spoonful of sugar, fix any injury with arnica, and cure the worst cold with a bowl of soup and a hug.

Clara won over everyone she met and she had a talent for talking to strangers. She could make a friend out of anyone and always got joy when people came to visit her.

In 1996, her love of politics and desire to vote prompted her to obtain U.S. citizenship at the age of 70, one of her proudest accomplishments.

Two years prior, Clara moved from Lynwood to Rancho Cucamonga where she would live out the rest of her days with her husband and daughter, Irene and Victor. That house was home base for the whole family and she enjoyed watching her family grow and expand, eventually having 18 great-grandchildren who she loved to pieces.

A true testament to the kind of woman and mother she was, Clara was truly adored by every one of her children and their spouses. They tirelessly cared for her and their father until their last days.

Clara and Rafael were soulmates and he died just 44 days before her. Their love story was one for the ages and it was clear once he died that she wanted to join him in heaven.

Clara Lopez died peacefully in her bed surrounded by her loved ones on October 11, 2020. She will be greatly missed and leaves behind an adoring family who will never stop missing her infectious laugh, kind heart, and unwavering dedication. She leaves behind a legacy of unconditional love that they will carry on in her honor.