Magdaleno H. Murillo

When Magdaleno H. Murillo walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Magdaleno was and how he impacted those around him. Magdaleno was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Magdaleno wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Magdaleno was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Magdaleno was born on September 3, 1918 in Michocan, Mexico. He was the son of Juan and Pantaleona Murillo. Magdaleno was raised in La Pieda Michocan de Ocampo. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Magdaleno might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Magdaleno was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Magdaleno was raised with five siblings. He had three brothers, Blevterio, Sebastian, and Samuel, and two younger sisters. Magdaleno was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Magdaleno was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Magdaleno well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Magdaleno was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Magdaleno was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Magdaleno took part in pingball. In his spare time he liked gardening. Magdaleno's memorable achievements included receiving his citizenship. Magdaleno had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Magdaleno was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Magdaleno was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, Magdaleno had many friends and was loved by all.

On February 9, 1966 Magdaleno married Guillermina Carranza Murillo in Capital de Mexico D.F. Magdaleno's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Guillermina's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Magdaleno was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Magdaleno was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Magdaleno, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Murillo home. Magdaleno's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Magdaleno was blessed with fourteen children: from his first marriage, Jesus, Nena, Jose, Margarita, Juan, Rafael, Lalo, Rudy, Joseluis, Carlos, Roberto, and Lupita; and from his second wife, Miguel and Carmen.

Magdaleno was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was landscaper. He was employed for 10 years by Mafair Packing Company. Magdaleno was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Magdaleno had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Magdaleno's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Magdaleno loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were growing all types of plants and trees. Magdaleno had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Magdaleno's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Because Magdaleno was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Magdaleno's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Magdaleno found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Magdaleno was an active member of several community groups, involved in neighborhood meetings.

Magdaleno was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a devoted Catholic for 93 years. Magdaleno gave many testimonies of his life experiences. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Magdaleno's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Magdaleno took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. His favorite vacation was going to his hometown, La Piedad Mexico.

Magdaleno was a lover of animals. Magdaleno loved all types of animals, especially cats.

When Magdaleno's retirement finally came in 1975, Magdaleno handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Magdaleno to master. In retirement, he found new pleasure in staying active in church and gardening at community garden centers. Even in retirement, Magdaleno continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Magdaleno Murillo passed away on April 17, 2012 at home in San Jose, California. He is survived by his children: Jesus, Nena, Jose, Margarita, Juan, Rafael, Lalo, Carlos, Joseluis, Rudy, Roberto, Lupita, Carmen and Miguel. Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. Magdaleno was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Magdaleno. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Magdaleno Murillo for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Magdaleno was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.