Margarita Maria Ochoa

Born October 15, 1945 in Durango, Mexico, passed on September 10, 2018 in Chula Vista, CA.

Raised in Tijuana, Mexico by her mother, Maria Rosas and father, Bruno Holguin. She was third in a family of thirteen siblings and as the oldest daughter, often fulfilled the role of second mom to many. She finished high school and began working at a distribution center in San Diego, CA where she met Luis Armando Ochoa.

At the age of 20, she married Luis Ochoa on August 27, 1966 and had three children, Margarita, Isabel and Armando. The family lived briefly in Van Nuys, CA, but moved in 1970 to National City then settled in Chula Vista.

Margarita began working in 1976 as an instructional assistant for National School District in National City. She took courses at Southwestern College, began working with special education students, and then later served as a union representative. She retired in 2011 after a 35-year career at the school district. She always had love for her students and work colleagues, but her most important job was being a mom.

She spent most of the late seventies and eighties traveling daily, and often multiple times the same day, shuttling her children from boys and girls clubs, after school dances, gymnastics and little league. She was hushed many a time for being too loud of a fan in the Sweetwater bleachers. She believed in the power of education and stressed this to her children. If this motivation was not enough, she often warned them she had spies who monitored them at school.

In 1989, her first grandchild came along, Marisela Pulido, followed by Adrian Ochoa, Max Pulido and Julian Ochoa. Her family was the most important thing in her life, and every Sunday at Nana’s was a must!

She loved her siblings and enjoyed spending time with her sisters, whether it was at a Juan Gabriel concert, at Barona Casino or simply enjoying a cup of coffee.

She liked spicy food, enjoyed taking long walks and loved her two Pugs, “Monis” more so than Oso. She traveled some; she enjoyed cruise ships and swore she would return to Europe. During the last year of her life, she expressed she felt trapped by the limitations of her body.

Mom, you are trapped no more – there are no more barriers and you will soar to love and experience all!

She is missed, and is in the hearts of us all as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and simply as a person who had a big heart and cared about others!