Born January 27th, 1929, in Colton, CA. Passed away January 25th, 2022, at 92 years old, 2 days before his 93rd birthday. He was born to Pedro and Margarita De La Rosa who were in the Bracero program.
Shortly thereafter, during the depression, the family moved back to their hometown of Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico, where dad and younger brother Martin helped their father carry water to homes and other hard labor to make ends meet. He excelled in school up to the 6th grade. Eventually, in his teens, the family moved back to the U.S. and he began taking correspondence courses to earn his GED in his spare time when not working in the citrus fields. The family made their way back to Mexico where he set up a mom-and-pop store for his mom in the family home. He would later go into trucking, hauling construction materials with a 1953 GMC dump truck that he bought in the U.S. using mostly his money for a down payment. It was during that time that dad met his beloved wife, Maria who blessed him with eight beautiful children. After the fourth child, he left everything behind and brought his growing family to Rancho Sespe, near Fillmore, where he was a field worker for several years.
Eventually, he began taking correspondence courses in automotive technology and began servicing automobiles for friends and relatives. Dad was thrifty and smart with his money to the point of being criticized for being frugal. However, each of his children can testify that those were the most wonderful, God-given days of their lives! When his boys asked for bikes, he came home with a box of parts and several frames and showed them how to build their own! This seemingly show of frugality which may have yet been another act for criticism, was a HUGE calculated move by dad to help his boys develop an interest in technology, which led to careers in Automotive Training and Education, Government Fleet Vehicle Repair and Oilfield Facility Management, Computer Engineering and Design and Farming Equipment Repair and Maintenance. Dad was also tireless in helping and encouraging his girls to start their own business from financing a beauty shop for one and helping each one to purchase their home.
Because of years of careful management of the family's resources, he was able to save and buy his first property, his house. Soon after, with mom's encouragement, dad bought an investment property in Ventura consisting of 18 cottages, which helped each of his children at the start of their own families, as each had a cottage available to them if they chose. This property also taught his kids the skills needed to manage and maintain residential properties, skills being utilized to this very day.
Dad was always looking for investment opportunities and found one at Wagon Wheel Groceries in Oxnard. As a family-established business, he and mom operated a community store where customers would come specifically to sample her home-made burritos, meeting a lot of good local people along the way. This was a springboard to his next endeavor.
After his retirement, dad leased a gas station on Hwy 126 near Central Ave in Fillmore. He and several of his kids, nephews, and nieces ran it until new underground storage tanks were required. Since owners would not help with the cost, he decided to end the lease and founded the present De La Rosa Auto Repair facility in Fillmore. His life-long dream finally came true the day he stepped into HIS shop and was able to re-build it from the ground up. When not at home going through every piece of mail that came to him, you could always find him there almost every day until the end of his life.
Dad will be remembered for his big heart! Being the first to move here in his family as well as in his in-laws, he helped every single one migrate here, always making his home available to them. Although he helped anyone who asked, he could be very hard, but fair! He did not spare the rod as his boys can attest, especially for ditching school, and each of his boys acknowledge they deserved every single punishment. WE MISS YOU DAD!
Juan was preceded in death by his parents, Pedro and Margarita De La Rosa, sisters, Rosario De La Rosa and Cruzita Ramos, brothers, Martin, Agustin, and Alphonso De La Rosa.
Juan is survived by his beloved wife Maria De La Rosa. Sons, Bill (Anna), Alex (Susan), John (Christina), Peter (Elvia). Daughters, Linda (Steve), Martha (Jess), Margaret (Chris), Maria (Richard). 21 grandchildren and 18 great - grandchildren and another great grandchild on the way. Sister Elisa Magallon and Brother Gamaliel De La Rosa including numerous nephews and nieces.
A Rosary will be recited at 9:30am on Tuesday, February 15th, 2022 with a Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 10:00am at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1048 West Ventura Street, Fillmore, California. Interment to follow at Bardsdale Cemetery, 1698 South Sespe Street, Fillmore, California.
To sign the family's online guestbook, share stories and post pictures please visit our website www.santapaulafuneralhome.com and click on Juan's name located in Recent Obituaries.
Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of the Family Owned & Operated Robert Rey GarcĂa Jr Funeral Services, Santa Paula, CA 805.229.7054