Gilroy native
Cerespin “Chris” Vazquez died Thursday, Nov. 28, 2002 at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital in Salinas after a sudden illness. He was 57.
Mr. Vazquez was born in Gilroy and had lived in Hollister since 1992, when he came here from San Jose. He graduated from Lincoln High School and West Valley College in San Jose and served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s. After leaving the Air Force he worked for FMC in San Jose and later became a human resource staffing director for various companies. He most recently worked for Read Rite Corp. in Fremont.
He was a member of Hillside Christian Fellowship of Hollister. An avid golfer, he was a member of Ridgemark Golf & Country Club and the 393 Golf Club and Los Amigos Golf Club in San Jose. As a coach of Police Athletic League football in San Jose, he once coached Jim McMahon, who went on to play quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
He is survived by his wife, Pat Vazquez of Hollister; his sons, Matthew S. Vazquez and Mitchell Vazquez, both of Hollister; his sisters, Lupe Vazquez and Aurora Custodia, both of Hollister, Helen Stewart of Nevada and Esther Duncan of Georgia; his brothers, David Vazquez of San Jose and Isaac Vazquez of Lindsey; two grandchildren, 47 nieces and nephews, 62 great-nieces and nephews and 11 great-great-nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today at Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by graveside services at Calvary Cemetery.
Friends are invited to a reception following the services at Hillside Christian Fellowship, 281 San Felipe Road.
Memorials are preferred to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association.
Celia Garcia Ceja
Celia Garcia Ceja died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002 at St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy. She was 66.
Mrs. Ceja was born in Tarimoro, Michoacan, Mexico and had lived in San Benito County for nearly 20 years. Prior to her illness she worked for Botelho and Perry Fruit. She was a member of Old Mission San Juan Bautista.
She is survived by her husband, Salvador Garcia of Los Angeles; her children, Juan Garcia, Alejandro Garcia and Jose Garcia, all of San Juan Bautista, Mariano Garcia and Salvador Garcia Jr., both of Hollister, Carmen Garcia, Rosa Mendoza and Celia Garcia, all of Oxnard, Mara Salcedo of Atwater and Socorro Mendoza of Mexico; her brothers and sisters, Antonia Ceja, Isidro Ceja, Maria Ceja, Sotero Ceja and Andres Ceja, all of Merced, and Elena Ceja and Olivia Ceja, both of Mexico; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be until 9 p.m. today at Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home. The Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Funeral services will begin Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. at the funeral home, proceeding to Mission San Juan Bautista for a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. Interment and graveside services will follow at San Juan District Cemetery.
