Obituaries

Rafael S. Guzman, a long-time resident of Newark, CA died peacefully on September 10, 2024, in his home of 56 years surrounded by his loving family.

His remarkable journey began on October 24, 1934 when he was born to Pedro and Reynalda Guzman in Guachinangio Jalisco Mexico, a very small ranching community just a couple of hours from Guadalajara. He spent his early years helping his father with the rigorous demands of daily ranch life. He loved his family and his beloved Mexico but yearned for something more.

He bravely moved to California in 1961 not knowing the English language but armed with determination and a will to work hard. He immediately began working in the gladiola fields of Union City, CA and after just a couple of years he met his future wife, Lydia R. Guzman. They have spent the last 62 years together. Raising 10 children, 31 grandchildren, 46 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. Rafael was always passionate about his family and was never shy in showing how much he loved them all. If you had the honor to meet him, you immediately knew that he was a good man. He was humble and honorable, respectful and caring. He had the ability to have difficult and honest conversations with grace and patience. You knew that what he said was purely out of love.

In addition to being a devoted son, husband, father, brother and grandpa, Rafael spent 34 years as an operator engineer for Citation Builders and had a hand in building many of the communities, we all live in. Rafael was proud of his work and was praised by many for how much he cared about a job well done. Even when he worked with some that didn’t share his enthusiasm, he would still share his wisdom and lead by example.

Rafael retired in 1994, which allowed him more time to pursue his other passion, gardening. He took meticulous care of his lawn, and most people thought that it was fake. He felt pride and joy every time someone complimented or appreciated his hard work. He often worried about his tomato plants. Did they have enough sun? The right amount of water? But with one bite of those tomatoes, you knew they were grown with love. Whenever you came for a visit, you knew to walk straight through the house and start searching for him in the backyard. He was usually fully engrossed in some gardening project with his cowboy hat and work gloves soaked with sweat from the day’s work. It was what he loved so it hardly felt like work at all.

Rafael is survived by his wife Lydia, all their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, his sister Elvira Molina of Lebec, CA and his brother Joaquin Guzman of Newark, CA and countless in-laws, nieces and nephews.

We will all miss him dearly but find comfort in knowing that his light shines in all of us.
We wish to invite you to join our family as we lay him to rest, and we honor and celebrate his life. Please find details below.