Stella Sedillo Trujillo

She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Jesse D. Trujillo, their daughters Maryellen Parra and Valerie Graves, grandchildren Ismael Parra Jr., Avrora Parra, Sophia Kaboga-Miller, Jesus Parra, Joseph Garcia and Raymond Garcia, great-grandchildren Cisely Muro, Leila Nelson, Aniah Clepper, Liliana Garcia, Raymond Garcia and her brothers Tony and Frank Sedillo.

She was born May 5, 1928 in Flagstaff, Arizona and moved to San Jose, California with her parents in 1943.

She attended San Jose High School then worked at various canaries throughout San Jose, lastly at Sunsweet in the shipping/receiving office until 1962.

She married Jesse in 1956 and raised their daughters. She was a dedicated and loyal wife, loving mother, generous grandmother, and caring godmother as well as sister, aunt, and friend.

She enjoyed many vacations with her husband, children, grandchildren, and friends. She visited many places including Hawaii, Grand Canyon, New Orleans, Atlanta, Georgia, Utah, New Mexico, and Mexico.

Her parents were born in New Mexico and as a result she joined the New Mexico Club of San Jose.

In 1974 Stella became a licensed daycare provider, she cared for many children in her home, and many became closer to her as they grew to adults.

She was an active member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, attending church daily, where she was a eucharistic minister for the nursing homes in the area and a member of the Ladies Guild.

She attended numerous weddings, parties, family gatherings and dances throughout her life, dancing the day and night away, the jitterbug was her favorite dance move.

She and her husband moved to Salinas, California in 1981, and there she became a part-time employee of Mervyns. She enjoyed her time there and made long lasting friendships.

Her greatest joy was having the grandchildren over on school breaks and weekend visits, she would cook and enjoy watching her grandchildren play out front for hours on end, often taking day trips to Monterey and Carmel beaches.

In 2006 she returned to San Jose after her husband’s retirement to be close to their family. They would happily shop in the secondhand stores for bargains and treasures. Also, attended the local senior center for community events and entertainment. She was currently a member of the Letterman’s Club, regularly attending dinners, activities, and picnics. She enjoyed the daily visits with the family pets Romeo and Charlie.

Stella made many friends throughout her life and leaves a lasting memory to all who knew her.

She will be missed dearly.