Helen Verdugo Navarro

July 2, 1924-February 24, 2013

Helen Verdugo was born in the copper mining town of Morenci, Arizona, on July 2, 1924 to Ponciano Verdugo and Rosalia Jimenez Verdugo. Mom adored her mineworker father and fondly talked about how hard he worked and how he made her laugh. She worshipped her mother for being such a kind and wise woman. She always talked about the fact that she had the best family and that she was proud of her older siblings Frances and Jim, and her younger sister Minnie. Mom was raised with a great amount of love and pride and this enabled her to bestow all this love to her family and friends. Her family then moved to the copper mining town of Jerome, where she went to school. Like so many thousands of families in the 1930’s, the Verdugo family moved to California to seek a better life, and in their case, to seek refuge from the deplorably dangerous conditions of the copper mines. Eventually settling for a time in the central California town of Lindsay, the family became migrant farm workers, following the crops up and down the State.

Aunt Frances met Uncle Bob, dad’s brother, in Los Angeles where they were married and this is how our father Pete met the beautiful young lady Helen. Dad was determined that this country girl would be his wife and mom married him in 1942 when she was just 18. We still can’t quit understand how two brothers married two sisters. Soon they had Ricardo in 1943, then Charlie in 1946. In 1947 they lost their first born son and mom and dad struggled on to build a happy life with three more kids, Rich in 1948, Little Pete in 1950, and the big surprise of 1956—the first girl of the family—Rosalinda. Mom and Dad were determined that their kids went to Catholic School—so the boys graduated from Cathedral High School and the surprise went to San Gabriel Mission. Mom was active in the parents club for the elementary school and the high schools.

In the mid 1960’s Mom went back to school to earn her high school degree and continued her education and became one of the first bilingual education teacher aides for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Mom was a teacher’s aide at Murchison St. Elementary and ended her 20 plus years with LAUSD as the head attendance officer at Grant High School. She took great pride in her work and was a dedicated employee who knew how to deal with children from elementary school age to high school age. Mom said that firmness and love were her ingredients and that she developed these skills raising her children. Mom and Dad retired in the 1980s and moved to a beautiful home on a bluff in Carlsbad, California with a really cool bar. They were the consummate hosts who thoroughly enjoyed their retirement years. With their friends they were regular visitors to Rosarito, where they did a lot of partying. Mom and Dad loved to go on Cruise where they made a lot of new friends, and of course, continued with their partying. Mom and Dad were honored by their children in 1967 for their 25th Wedding anniversary and in 1992 gloried in their celebration with the family of their 50th Anniversary.

Mom and Dad’s four kids grew up and produced 14 grandchildren over the years. And every grandkid felt the love and enjoyed the wonderful food that their Nana made for them. Nana was able to enjoy her ten great-grandchildren, offspring from Rich and Rose. Our mom took pride in the accomplishments of her children and made us feel proud of the family we came from. But more than anything, she claimed that there was no greater gift than to be “Rich with Love.”

Mom had a tough time when Dad died in 1999 but she was able to bounce back and remain the matriarch of this large family. She had a passion for life and believed that her faith in God helped her endure all the ups and downs life has to offer. Mom was a strong woman and recovered from a stroke in 2003 and a triple by-pass surgery in 2004. Nevertheless she constantly gave us her love and attended most of the family get-togethers. In her last weeks, her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were close by her side giving her hugs and kisses, which she would return with a smile and great pleasure. But her weak heart took her, as we knew it would.

Dearest Mother, you will live in our hearts forever. Gracias por todo el amor que nos has dado.

Helen Verdugo Navarro is survived by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her brother Jim Verdugo, in addition to countless extended family members and friends.