Elivinia "Polly Reyes" Degarmo Calderon

Elivinia "Polly Reyes" De Garmo Calderon was born 1936 in a house on Hyatt Street in Wilmington; Eldest daughter to George and Esther. Elivinia graduated from Banning High School in 1955. She worked in the fish canneries and as a waitress as she managed her own path through Los Angeles Pacific College, Harbor J.C., Long Beach State and the University of California, Berkeley. She began teaching in 1960 at Catskill Elementary.

In 1960, she married Tom De Garmo and in 1963 they moved to Berkeley. They had two daughters: Jeanette currently a teacher and Evelis, currently an attorney. Elivinia taught in Berkeley Unified. In 1974, She received her PhD. in Education from UC Berkeley. Elivinia became the principal of George Washington Elementary in Daly City. For many years, she travelled over the Bay Bridge and home again to her daughters on a daily basis, in fog, in rain and in shine. In 1980, she moved to San Diego. She was a principal until 1995 when she retired. Elivinia then taught inmates at the California Youth Authority for over ten years.

In 1993, Elivinia married Mike Calderon. The two were married for twenty years. Elivinia absolutely loved Mike's extensive family and friends. She also loved salsa dancing, Latin music, attending concerts, and travelling anywhere and everywhere with Mike. Elivinia was a member of the Sunshine Club and travelled with them often. She also loved interior design, shopping for all things beautiful, fancy family dinners and reading extensively on all things political, spiritual and self-help. Elivinia also practiced Buddhist chanting daily and was very involved with her Methodist Church friends.

Elivinia was a passionate traveler. She travelled throughout the United States, Japan, Guam, South America, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. She also travelled to Turkey and Greece, North Africa and to the Caribbean. She enjoyed many cruises and in 2010 took a Mediterranean Cruise with her family. Most recently, and while ill, she travelled to Las Vegas where she enjoyed the musical Jersey Boys and to San Francisco where she enjoyed everything!

Elivinia was the proud grandmother of four grandchildren, Madeline, Alexandra, David and Natalie. She lived for her daughters and adored her grandchildren. Elivinia had an extensive family. She loved her aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews very much. She always mourned the loss of her grandmother, Ramona "Mamachita" Hernandez, her baby brother Enrique (who died at age 18 months), her sister Esther and her cousins, Michael Hernandez, Frankie Hernandez and Louie Duran. She also loved her sisters Soledad and Irene very much and was blessed to have them in her life again.

Elivinia is a brilliant example of a courageous and strong Mexican-American woman born into poverty during the Great Depression. She set her personal and professional standards high, pursued those goals and realized her dreams! We are very proud of you and will miss you each day. You always remind us to take good care of ourselves and to love each other. We are honored to call you mom, grandma, nana, wife, aunt, sister, cousin and friend.

You lived life to the fullest. Thank you for giving so much of yourself and for establishing an educated and enlightened path for your family to pursue. You are with God now experiencing an even fuller and more rewarding existence than you experienced in this life. Elivinia passed away March 6, 2013.

We will always remember you as we smell a beautiful French perfume, dine in a hidden café drinking a cappuccino, and in holding hands, discussing all things great and small.

Each life is a miracle, and yours was truly miraculous. You overcame countless obstacles and never doubted your own abilities. Thank you for your tenacity, keen intelligence, humor, courage and bravery.


Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275