Leticia Melendez

In Fall of 1970 while on a field trip Leticia (Leti) would tell another student who she did not know to “SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP”. She believed the student was provoking a fight with students from another High School. That student was me and we would go on to belong life long partners of 53 years. At the age of four Leticia and her 3 brothers were abandoned by their Mother due to alcoholism. Their father Marcelo took the 4 of them to be raised by his Mother and Sister. The Matriarch of the Nevarez Family in San Fernando, Abuelita Porfieia and Tia Kika. These were very tough but loving women who instilled that in Leticia. They raised her in the Catholic faith, taught her to have a strong work ethic and to go after her dream. Her dream was to be a Nurse and to help and care for other people.

When I first met her, I was intimidated by her. We would see each other in School and started talking and hanging out together. Then I was suspended from school for fighting. After I came back, she told me that if I wanted to date her no more fights, ditching school with my brother and I had to graduate. Thanks to her We enjoyed our last year of school together with friends. While in School when I turned 17 in April 1971 I joined The U.S. Army and left for Basic training 10 days after Graduation.

While I was away, we would write letters and talk on the phone. I had to ask her 3 times to marry before she said yes. We were married on April 29, 1972 at Santa Rosa Church San Fernando. We then moved to Fort Carson Colorado where I was stationed. We lived off base in Colorado Springs and began our life together. I received an Honorable Discharge in 1973 and we returned to California.

Leticia was a very social person easy to talk to and made friends everywhere we lived. She was also a great cook, my army buddies always wanted to come over to our apartment to enjoy her food. We are Valley born and raised but moved to Wilmington for a job opportunity for me in 1974. Our first child was born in 1974 Kenneth M. Melendez and then our daughter was born in 1979 Alissa Ann Melendez. In 1979 Tom and Kimi Onoda the couple that I had worked for offered to sell us one of their Auto Parts store American Auto Supply.

This business was a gold mine. It allowed us to purchase a new large house in Wilmington that was great for entertaining. Also, once our daughter was in school Leticia went back to school at Harbor College and graduated from the Nursing Program as an RN. Her childhood dream was a reality. In 1989 she started working at Torrance Memorial Hospital. She left Torrance in 1999 and got a job at Kaiser Hospital Southbay. In 2019 she retired from Kaiser.

Leticia was a charge nurse on the floor, she loved everyone she worked with and most of the patients. She had dyed her hair red and the patients used to tell their nurse go get the nurse with the red hair. At Kaiser Leticia and all of her coworkers were a family. So many potlucks, parties and happy hours.

Leticia and I always took vacations to Nassau, Tahiti, Cancun, Cabo and enjoyed life. Here at home our favorite hangouts were (are) Cheesecake Factory, Fridas every worker treats us like royalty and of course all of the regulars that we have become friends with. When were younger we would go to the Hop in Lakewood and had an incredible time there with friends.

In 1999 when I retired, we wanted to give back to the Wilmington Community. For 10 years we with 8 other Wilmington people attending meetings, raised hell, and work with the Port of Los Angeles to build a Buffer between Wilmington Community and port operations. Today The Wilmington Waterfront Park is a result of all our hard work. Leticia was a big part of that effort always advising me behind the scenes how to keep moving forward.

All good things must come to an end. The best thing to happen to me in my life was the 16 year old beauty who told me to sit down and shut up. On Thursday December 21, 2023 with a Catholic Priest giving her last rites and Maria and Arlene and Me at her side God took her in his arms. Amen.