Richard Gene Motta

Richard Gene Motta February 26th 1942- November 6th 2019 If the true measure of a man's character is gauged by the number of people he knew over his lifetime, and knew their family history and ties to everyone else he knew, and if in doing so, he garnered more friends than one can count (without social media), then Richard Gene Motta was one of the giants among men. Just three days before he went to be with the Lord, he asked to have the Mt. Whitney High School Senior Class Pictures of 1960 put up on the television screen. For nearly two hours, he went through the entire class pictures with a running commentary on what happened to and/or where each and every last classmate is now. Over his lifetime he had many great passions and interests. One passion that overrode all others was his love for taking care of family. To that end, he moved Heaven and earth working long hours to provide a good home to his young family, and later to help numerous other family members in their various endeavors. He donated generously too, to numerous various charities because he had a heart for giving and helping others. Another great passion was his enormous love of baseball. He coordinated softball tournaments, and ran team after team, year after year in his love for the game. Most recently, he watched every pitch of the World Series, rooting for the Washington Nationals because his Beloved New York Yankees were not in it. The passion that most was upon his heart every single day was his love for the Lord Jesus, his Savior and friend, in whom he prayed and spoke to daily. He prayed for everyone he knew making his daily talks with God an integral part of his existence as he passed through this life. Richard Gene Motta was born in Visalia on February 26th, 1942 at the original Kaweah Delta Hospital to Rose Mattos Motta and Joseph Coit Motta. He attended local elementary schools, Divisadero Junior High and Mt. Whitney High School. He worked from childhood in the dairy industry beginning on his parents own dairy farm. It was early on in his teenage years while working in the dairy industry that he met the 60 plus years love of his life Oleta Faye Motta. They married very young, in 1959, when he was only 17. His first daughter, Tanya Motta Unruh was born in 1961 and resides with her husband David Unruh in Sequim, WA. His second daughter born in 1965, Angela Motta Sims resides in Visalia CA. He leaves five grandchildren Adam Unruh of Hollywood, CA, Brent Unruh and wife Michelle of Maple Valley, WA, Michaela Unruh Moritz and husband Elliot of Bellingham, WA, Joseph Motta Coelho of Visalia and Derek Motta and wife Elizabeth of Visalia. He leaves two loving sisters Elaine Lea of Visalia and Diane Johnson and husband Jeff of Tulare, CA. In addition, he leaves numerous nieces, nephews, great grand-children and friends. He will be missed. A Celebration of LIfe will be held at Plaza Park space # 6 pm Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 10:30 am. A memorial tribute may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Richard Gene Motta

February 26, 1942 - November 6, 2019