Francisco Rivera Cabral was born on May 17, 1945 in Orange, California to his parents Juan A. Cabral and Petra R. Cabral. He was raised in Stanton, California, alongside his siblings: Marcie, Richard (deceased), Alfred, Robert (deceased), Esther, Hortencia, Beatrice (deceased), Manuel and Alice.
Francisco was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. Though he was preparing to serve in the Vietnam War, an accident during combat drills resulted in injury to both of his eardrums, leading to an honorable discharge; he would remain partially deaf for the remainder of his life. Despite not going to war, Francisco was always proud of his service and loved being an American.
In 1969, Francisco decided to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his older brother Alfred. This would lead to one of the most important moments of his life. In December of that same year, Francisco went to a Christmas party with a friend and heard, for the first time, the song Silent Night being sung in Spanish. It was the most angelic sound he had ever heard and was immediately in love with the woman who was singing, Josefina Rocha. After six months of courtship, they married and started their family.
Francisco and Josefina stayed in Albuquerque long enough to have two sons, Gerald and Juan, before moving to San Diego County, California where they grew the family with two more sons Robert and Patrick. Francisco was proud of his family and worked tirelessly to provide his sons every opportunity he did not have growing up. He led by example, stressing hard work, discipline and education. No matter how tired he was after a long day of manual labor, he always spent time with his sons who were always active in a sport or school activity. He tirelessly promoted that his sons get an education, and saw that dream come true as each of sons attended a university post high school graduation.
Francisco and Josefina’s family grew when their sons all married and started their own families. He loved his daughters-in-law, Michelle, Veronica, Marion and Stefanie like they were his own, and especially loved his grandchildren, Victoria, Tatiana, Tonantzin, Angel, Nitza, Amilcar, Mateo, Emilio, and Alena. He also welcomed his grandkids-in-law, Chris (Victoria), Jacob (Tonantzin), Alexis (Amilcar), and Sarah (Angel), into his heart. Francisco always attended his grandchildren’s events, from sporting games to school activities.
Francisco loved dancing, especially with the love of his life, Josefina. They never missed an opportunity to dance música norteña at every family party or gathering. Francisco was also an Elvis Presley fan and loved catching shows by Elvis impersonators, particularly in Las Vegas. He also loved going to local casinos and playing cards with his sons and grandchildren. You could always count on Grandpa Cabral to teach a new grandkid how to gamble playing cards.
Francisco’s devotion to his family and to his beloved wife, Josefina, whom he married 54 years ago, is a true testament to his character. Their enduring love was an example for all who knew them. Francisco leaves behind a lasting legacy of hard work, loyalty, and an unwavering love for his family. He was an honorable son, husband, father, grandfather, nino, tio, compadre and friend. His memory will live on in the hearts of all those who were lucky enough to know him.
