Dolores Bañales

Dolores Banales passed away at the age of 72 on March 25, 2020 as a result of cancer. She is preceded in death by her father Philip V. Banales and is survived by her mother Lydia Banales, her siblings, nieces, nephews and many friends. She was born in Pomona, California and attended Pomona schools throughout her childhood including Sacred Heart Elementary and Pomona Catholic Girls High School. She started working in customer service at Josie's El Burrito in Pomona, Ted's Liquor and Judd's Pak A Bag as well as Mo's Records on Mission Blvd. Dolores earned the nickname "U.S." when she became a U.S. Postal Service worker. She went on to college and as an alumna of the University of California Los Angeles, she was the first in the family to receive a Bachelor's degree at the university level of education. Dolores went on to work for the Riverside County Department of Social Services as a social worker for adult and child protective services. During her career which spanned over 30 years, she gained the admiration and respect of many of her coworkers who respectfully referred to her as "the wise one" or "sage"! She shared her homemade guacamole with clerks and colleagues to rave reviews and requests for more along with her mini cheesecakes and her unparalleled chiles rellenos. Dolores enjoyed many different cuisines but especially Cuban food, with ropa vieja at the top of the list and she cooked it for family on many occasions. She enjoyed both fresh water and deep sea fishing, and could grill her catch to perfection. She also enjoyed Santa Maria style tri-tip off the grill with a side of roasted corn on the cob! After her retirement from social work she took care of both parents and then took on the role of full time caregiver for mom after dad passed away in 2013. Many days were spent shopping and taking mom to lunch at places around town like Bravo Burgers or Mexico Lindo and having coffee at Angelo's Burgers in the morning where she knew the employees by name. She loved watching baseball, and herself was a softball player in her high school days. She would travel to support her nieces and nephews sports events, always providing sunflower seeds or beef jerky or whatever equipment she thought they needed to be a better athlete! She was always there on the sidelines to give encouragement and of course a smile. Dolores had a way of making friends easily with her easy going demeanor and wry sense of humor. She received countless compliments on her beautiful white hair wherever she went. Her presence will be deeply missed by many friends and family who love her.