Albert Robles Luna, My Dad.

My husband always teases me. He says that I always follow the rules, he teases me about not talking about a case while I am on jury duty and he tells me that if I ever get pulled over my a police officer and his pen runs out of ink while trying to give me a ticket, I would give him my pen. I wholehearted agree with my husband, I don’t talk about the case I am on during jury duty and I would give the police officer my pen. I would do that because it is the right thing to do and it is what my Dad would have done.

My dad was a good man, great husband and father and he passed away on March 25th. He loved and supported his family and friends and it was evident at his memorial on April 23rd that he was loved just as much. The audience for my dad’s memorial filled up 90-95% of the church pews. In attendance were his friends from his RV club, senior citizen center, church friends, his family and family members from his ex-wife’s side of the family. He was loved by many.

Stories of my dad, how he would drive people to church who otherwise would not have made it that day, or how he helped work on church projects, and our family camping stories all circulated the luncheon afterward in one of the halls, even reminiscing about his corny jokes that he loved to tell, even in his last days. That is just like my dad, reassuring us that he is going to be ok and that we will be too. With the proofreading skills of my sister, we wrote my dad’s obituary. It turned out to be way too long and the quote from the newspaper was almost $1,000. So we had to wittle it down to just 11 lines. However, I am posting the obituary here because it is my dad’s legacy.

Albert “Al” Robles Luna of Hacienda Heights, California passed away peacefully at his home on March 25, 2016. He was 81 years old. Al was born in ‘Simons’ (now known as Montebello), California to Tiburcio and Vincenta (Robles) Luna. He was the second-youngest of 13 children. As a son of a migrant worker, his family traveled seasonally between Montebello and Mountain View, in central California. He attended elementary schools in both locations and the family eventually settled down in Montebello, California where he graduated from Montebello High School. As a teen he volunteered for the local Civil Air Patrol where he developed leadership skills and was soon in charge of the yearly encampment activities.

While Al attended college, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in early 1957. In September, 1957, after serving 6 months of active duty, Al was returned to the Air Force Reserves and was honorably discharged at the end of May 1963.

He was employed as an engineer for Astro Fab, Inc. a metal fabrication company. Al loved the Dodgers, NASCAR – his favorite driver being Jeff Gordon, playing tennis, dancing and especially camping. But his true love was spending time outdoors with his family and playing games. In fact, he took his beloved wife, Cindy and his children on many camping trips. As they arrived at a new campsite and while the adults were setting up camp, the kids would go exploring. Al always used a special whistle to call the kids back to camp. When they heard it, they knew it was their Dad calling and they better return pronto!

Al retired from Astro-Fab, Inc. after 28 years. He joined his wife in retirement a year later and they began a decade of what was to be many trips across the U.S. in their motorhome. He established a family tradition of ‘Game Night’, where all the family would come over and play various board, tile or card games.

Al was a devout Baptist with an unwavering faith and strong relationship with God. He was an active member of Bethany Baptist Church of West Covina, California. Al is preceded in death by his parents Tiburcio Luna and Vincenta Robles, his sisters Euphemia Luna, Simona Luna, Rachel Tapia (Luna), and his brothers Marcelino Luna, Salvador Luna and Julian Luna. He is survived by his wife, Lucinda “Cindy” Luna (Baker); his brothers and sisters-in-laws Joe and Edna Luna and Manuel and Julie Luna and his sisters, Ruth Rodriquez, Paula Luna, Jenny Enriquez and Jessie Diaz; his children and step-children Albert Luna Jr. and wife Cecilia, Linda Martinez and husband Andy, Pauline Luna, Patricia Stanard and husband Steve, Valerie Mokricky and husband Robert, Sherrie Carson and husband Brian, Susan Flatt and husband Tony, and Patricia Simmons and husband Jeff; his grandchildren Jonathan Luna, Anthony Luna, Eddie and Jessica Luna, Lisa Luna, Fernando and Rachel Luna, Cathline Luna, Quincii Paxton, Chartisia Paxton, Briianna Paxton, Christina and Bo Sauerbrei, Nicole Duran, Elena Jacobson, Kindle Reeder, Brandon Reeder, Zach Harris, Joshua Harris, Youssef Essoussi, and Farouk Essoussi ; 6 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

So, enough of me telling you how great my dad was, here are some pictures that show how great my dad was.

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We said good bye to my dad at his memorial on Saturday, March 23rd. Here are a few photos from the memorial.

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Thank you for reading to the end, I greatly appreciate it.