Lilly Casares Gonzales
Obituary
Lilly Casares Gonzales died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones. She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Joe, Gilbert, Johnny, Benjamin, and Guadalupe Casares, and sisters, Trini (Casares) Henriquez, and Adela (Casares) Clendenin, ex-husband, Peter Gonzales, and grandson, Aaron Gonzales. She is survived by her daughters, Yvonne (Gonzales) Mares, and Camille Gonzales, stepson, Andy Gonzales, her grandchildren, Vanda, Marcus, and Candice Gonzales, Adrian Mares, Monique, Isabella, and Peter Valentino Ruiz, and great grandchildren, Ahanu, Mila, Aiden, and Colton Gonzales.
Lilly was born in Crystal City Texas to Jose and Juanita Casares in 1936. Her family settled down in Watsonville, California. She spent her early years working in the fields. Later, she married Peter Gonzales and had their daughter Yvonne and later went on to adopt Camille. Lilly was a top salesperson for Avon and worked in car sales for almost 30 years and was top salesperson of the year for many years. She won many awards, including trips to Hawaii. She could sell ice to an Eskimo. In her later years she took on many hobbies such as a Sheriff volunteer and she was a long-time member of the Foster Grandparent's program where she worked in the classroom at Amesti Elementary and Mar Vista Elementary. But her passion has always been her garden, she loved spending time with her plants. She loved gardening with her grandchildren and teaching them how to take a small pruning and turn it into a flourishing plant. She had a golden green thumb.
Memorial services will be held at Church of the Nazarene in Watsonville at 10:00am on Friday, August 23, 2024 with a graveside burial to follow at Valley Public Cemetery on East Lake ave in Watsonville. A Celebration of Life will follow.
Published in The Pajaronian · July 19, 2024