Patricia Ann Cruz

Patricia Ann Camarena Cruz at the age of 61, and surrounded by her precious loved ones, was gently called home to be with her Lord on the morning of Friday, January 25th in Visalia, CA. Patricia entered this world on July 6th, 1957 in San Jose California as the second child of Hope and Tony Camarena. She spent her childhood attending San Jose schools and growing up in a loving home, always staying busy with her four brothers and three sisters. It was at O.B. Whaley Elementary School in San Jose that Patricia met Alejandro "Chender" Cruz in third grade. The two reconnected again when they became neighbors on Ophelia Street in their sophmore year in high school and a young romance blossomed. After graduating from Silver Creek High School in 1975, Patricia and Chender were engaged. They married at St. Joseph's Cathedral in San Jose on September 25, 1976 marking the start of their cherished marriage, spanning more than 40 years. Patricia became a mother, welcoming her oldest child, Rebecca into the world on July 25, 1977. Patricia and Chender went on to have two more children, Alex III in 1979 and Monica in 1981. Patricia also welcomed into her home her niece Elysha Cruz who she also raised and loved as her own. Raising her family alongside her husband was the center of her world. After calling San Jose home for all her life, Patricia and her family left the Bay Area in the early 1990s and spent several years living in the Coachella Valley before eventually making their home Visalia, CA. It was in Visalia that her children graduated from Redwood High School and CSU Fresno. Throughout her adulthood, Patricia made her career in retail, mentoring and making lifelong friends at Montgomery Wards, Mervyn's, Gottschalks, Lowe's, House to Home and TJ Maxx. Often known as the "work mom" Patricia's joyful personality helped her connect easily with coworkers and customers alike. Patricia proudly became a grandmother on December 1, 2005 marking the start of a special chapter of her life. Soon after, she retired from her career in retail to become a fulltime grandmother. It was at this time that she also welcomed four new members to her family when her son Alex married Venus in 2007. At the time of her passing, Patricia was blessed with nine grandchildren and had just welcomed her first great-grandchild to the family in December 2018. She also baptized several of her siblings' children, who all call her Nina. She was a devout Catholic who attended Sunday Mass at Visalia's St. Mary's Church and found comfort and strength in her faith. Patricia will be remembered always as Yaya by her grandchildren who enjoyed countless hours celebrating everything from St. Patrick's Day, to Birthdays, to Saturdays with her. Her friends and family will remember her as someone who loved to sing and dance to the oldies, laughed as much as possible, enjoyed her Pepsi and margaritas, cheered for the Oakland A's and was a dedicated member of the Raider Nation. She is survived by her caring husband of 42 years Alejandro "Chender" Cruz; her beloved children Rebecca Cruz (and Richard Moore), Alex Cruz (and Venus Cruz), and Monica Cruz (and Peter Hinojos); her niece Elysha Padilla (and Alex Padilla); her grandchildren Adrian, Alexander, Benjamin "Nehemias", Breona, Espi, Jeremiah, Mercedes, Petey and Timothy; Great Granddaughter Athena; her parents Tony and Hope Camarena; and her siblings Mary Camarena, Tony "Junior" Camarena (& Nova Camarena), Johnny Camarena (& Emma Camarena), Bobby Camarena (& Annette Camarena), Susie Orozco (& Jeff Orozco), Paul Camarena (& Anna Camarena) and Christina Castro (& Jose Castro). Patricia was, and remains, the light in our life, the love in our hearts, and the strength in each of our souls. In this way, she will be present at every celebration, hold us up through each hardship, and continue to be cherished each day.

Patricia Ann Cruz

July 6, 1957 - January 25, 2019