GUADALUPE MENDOZA SABALA
Oct. 15, 1927 - July 17, 2020
Guadalupe Sabala, 92, of Las Vegas, NV passed away on Friday, July 17, 2020.
He was born on October 15, 1927, in Holtville, CA, the eldest of 7 surviving children born to Rafael and Felipa Mendoza Sabala, and was a lifelong Brawley resident prior to moving to Nevada in 2017. He was married for 70 years to the love of his life, the former Gavina Ramirez, and they were devoted to each other. They were often seen holding hands and reminiscing about their early years working seasonal crops with their families in Central California during the 1930s and ‘40s, growing up on eastside “H” Street in Brawley, their favorite travels to Hawaii, Orlando, the Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, and the Dominican Republic, and the childhood antics of their three beloved grandsons.
Guadalupe attended Sacred Heart School, Barbara Worth, and Brawley Union High School before he enlisted in the Army at 17. He proudly served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and was employed at Holly Sugar Corp. (now Spreckels) for 32 years and served as secretary- treasurer of the local workers’ union for many years before retiring his position as a sugar boiler. Guadalupe enjoyed giving back to the community that nurtured and sustained him and he was active in neighborhood and civic matters throughout his life, including coaching Little League Baseball and troop leader with The Boy Scouts of America in his younger years; serving as a lector at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church; leading the The Knights of Columbus Council 2130 and achieving 4th degree status; board member of Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, Inc.; volunteering with the Commodities Supplemental Food Program at the Brawley Senior Citizens Center; member of American Legion Post 60; serving on the Brawley Veterans Wall of Honor Committee; and recognized locally as a frequent blood donor. The Sabala Family wishes to thank the staff at Heritage Springs Assisted Living and Compassion Care Hospice Las Vegas for their tender and supportive care.
Guadalupe was preceded in death by his only son, Guadalupe R. Sabala, Jr.; parents, Rafael and Felipa Sabala; brothers, Ralph “Rafa” Sabala and Jose “Joe” Sabala.
He is survived by his wife, Gavina R. Sabala; daughters, Grace S. Inouye (Barry) and Mary B. Hon (Ted) all of Las Vegas, NV; grandsons, Matthew Inouye, Keone Hon (Eunice) and Kimo Hon; sisters, Consuelo “Chela” Amador of Newark, CA and Margaret Perez of Lake Elsinore, CA; brother, Juan Sabala (Helena) of Jamul, CA; and extended family of in- laws, nieces, and nephews.
Services will be private, A Celebration of Life will be held on a later date when attendance is safe for family and friends.