Jose Valentin Orona

Jose Valentin Orona passed away peacefully on 12/31/16 at home surrounded by family. He was born on June 23, 1933 in a three room house built on land his father had homesteaded in Los Lunas, New Mexico. His parents were Juan and Modesta Orona. He was the second oldest of six children. He grew up helping his family raise vegetables and fruits they would sell at a roadside stand next to his house. He also helped his dad and two brothers tend to a growing cattle ranch. Val grew up with many aunts, uncles and cousins. The extended family would often gather at his parents house on Sundays where his mother would always prepare something wonderful to eat. He left his hometown after high school and went to New Mexico State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1956. He paid for his education by working at the university dairy milking cows.It was during this time he met the love of his life and wife of 60 years, Mary Jane Montes at a dance. They were married in 1956 and had five children. As a young engineer he began his career at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico and Cape Canaveral, Florida where he analyzed data of missile flights working on telemetry systems, using a slide rule for computations. He was involved in the first Vanguard satellite missile flights which were the precursors to the missiles used on the Apollo flights to the moon. In 1966 the family moved to Lompoc, California where he worked at Vandenberg Air Force Base as a project manager for missile telemetry systems for ITT's Western Test Range Division. Val wanted all his children to go college and he wanted to pay for it. He cashed in his life insurance policy in 1972 and together he and Mary Jane bought the El Zarape Mexican food restaurant in Lompoc, California. They had no restaurant experience but were hard workers with a can do attitude. Val was determined not to fail. He worked as an engineer and restaurateur for 5 years, often working 15 hour days till he retired from engineering to devote himself to his business. He ended up owning three restaurants, had a total 65 employees and started the first catering truck business in the valley selling food to migrant worker that harvested produce in the fields. All his children worked in the business earning cash that enabled them to attend college debt free! Val's favorite hobby was to work. Farming was never far from his mind, he always had fruit trees, a summer and winter garden. His BBQ was simply the BEST, he perfected Santa Maria style tri tip and ribs using local red oak wood. The chili beans he made were popular and so delicious. Val was a man of deep faith, a devout Catholic. Val and Mary Jane sent their children to parochial schools grades 1-8. They are both members of the lay Franciscans and Val was a third degree Knight of Columbus. Val volunteered at the local food pantry where he would use his cooking skills to make mouth watering dinners for the needy. He and his wife Mary Jane would often pray together. The thing that brought Val the most pleasure was his family. He would call his children almost daily to find out what adventures they and the grand kids were experiencing. He was a devoted husband, father, brother and grandfather. He was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by all.Val was preceded in death by his parents Juan and Modesta, son David, brothers Willie and Oswald, and grandson Joseph Smith. He is survived by wife Mary Jane of Fresno,CA; daughters Anna (Rich) Nidever of Danville,CA; Mary ( Craig) Smith of Vallejo,CA; and Elizabeth (Tim) Hearne of Dublin,CA; son John (Kathleen) of Clovis,CA; and daughter-in-law Rachel Orona of Dublin,CA; 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.Three siblings, Lillian Romero of Tome, NM; Pat Montes and her husband Ralph of Los Lunas, NM; Dorothy Godley and her husband John of Springfield, VA; and numerous nieces and nephews. Remembrances may be sent to the American Cancer Society by credit card 1-800-227-2345 or go online to http://www.cancer.org/involved/morewaystogive/donate-by-mail-or-phone