María de la Luz Segura de Barraza's Obituary
María de la Luz Segura de Barraza had a joy for life. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, daughter, wife, and friend. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, she spent many years living and working in Tijuana, Baja California before moving to the United States in 1962. She moved to the U.S. in search of work to support her five children, which she was raising with the help of her mother. In Los Angeles, Calif. she met her second husband, Jesus Barraza, with whom she had three children. They lived in L.A., El Paso, Texas, and finally settled in San Diego, Calif. Luz was an avid reader and follower of politics and current affairs. She shared her love of learning with her children with frequent visits to the public library. She was also very involved in their schooling—serving as room mother and president and secretary of the Bilingual Association. In response to increase anti-immigrant sentiment, Luz became a U.S. citizen in 1996 and took her civic responsibility very seriously, often rallying her family members to get to the voting booth. Luz loved to travel and after her retirement took a cruise on the Mexican Riviera and visited Oaxaca, the Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. Luz had a well-developed green thumb and loved spending time in her garden. She was also an animal lover, showering her affection on her two beloved dogs, Sassy and Sheba, along with any stray cat that came calling. Luz enjoyed socializing and was a member of the Club de Amistad in her senior community, helping to organize annual cultural events. She will be remembered by her family as the life of the party. Luz is survived by daughters Raquel (Fernando) Suro, Angelica (Carlos Dorado) Barraza, and Ana Lilia Barraza; sons Raymundo Almada, Rene Segura and Jesus (Melanie Cervantes) Barraza; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her mother Guadalupe Salas, sister Eva Salas, husband Jesus Barraza, and sons Manuel Segura and José Armando Segura.
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