Funeral & Family Expenses for Reyes Avitia
Donation protected
Our grandpa passed away on December 20, 2020 due to COVID-19. For your prayers, his name is Reyes Avitia Solorzano. We are collecting money for his funeral, memorial, and other expenses, as this was so unexpected for our family.
It doesn’t feel real, but I need to say it so his soul can pass, so he can find peace, and so we may find peace as well.
If you knew my grandpa, you were incredibly lucky to experience his energy, love, and kindness fill whatever space he was in. Myself, my brothers, my grandma, and my parents were very fortunate to live in the same house as my grandpa. Anything we needed or could ever want, my grandpa was there.
Every day before my brothers and I left for school, he would call us to his room like it was a secret that he was giving us lunch money. We would always say we didn’t need it, and he would always respond: “I don’t want you to just have what you need. I want you to be able to buy things you want too.” Every time he brought us food, he made sure all our orders were right, especially me because I don’t eat meat. If anything wasn’t perfect, he’d be out the door on his way to replace it because he always wanted us to have exactly what we wanted. Even if everyone in the house was still asleep, he would get mad at my mom if he woke up and we weren’t fed yet. He would say, “Have you fed my kids!?”
When I got older, every time I came home to visit, he would always have pepino and Clamato for me because he wanted me to have my favorite snack when I got home. If we ever said we weren’t hungry, he’d always respond: “Okay, what do you want for later?” He never took no for an answer because all he ever wanted was to make his family happy.
I think the memory I will hold strongest is how much he loved with his whole heart. Seeing the way he loved my grandma, every second of every day, made me see the love I wanted in my life. He called her his Yoli, his viejita, his baby. Seeing the love he gave his daughter, my mom, how he always called her his hija, how his love for her was so strong it overflowed and became such strong, unsurpassable love for her kids, too. For us.
His love was everywhere. It was in the little things and the big things and the little things that accumulated into enormous showings of love. It was in him waking up every morning when my grandma came home from work so he could open the front gate for her. Every single day, he would make us all move the cars so my grandma’s car was backed into the driveway, and it was first, so she could have the easiest time going out for work in the morning. When I started driving, he would always wait by the gate to watch me go and make sure I was safe as far as his eye could see and he would wait for my text: “I got to school!” His love was in opening the front gate when my mom came home from work. It was in him not hesitating to ride alongside my mom’s crazy driving because my dad locked his keys in his own car and needed his help.
Him and my mom would always argue over who loved me and my brothers more. I think, sometimes, he won. He would say we were his kids. His heart was bigger than anyone in the universe.
My grandpa was the strongest force of nature God could have ever gifted us. My first year of college, when I moved away from home for the first time, he carried in all my boxes to my room for my first time away. Sometimes, when I’d visit home, I’d let the words slip, “when I used to live here,” and he’d correct me right away. “This will always be your home.”
On Father’s day this past summer, I remember waking up thinking how grateful I was to still have my grandpa in my life. I kept that thought in my mind the whole day, I was so so so grateful that I still had my grandpa, my whole heart, in my life. I was so grateful to have our family still whole, so fortunate that we had never suffered any losses. I told him that day, that I was so happy to have him in my life. His response fills my heart with so much love and joy, he said: “Gracias Valerita yo te amo te quiero mucho asta el cielo.”
“I love you so much up to Heaven.” And that’s where he loves us from, now and forever. I love you from my heart here on Earth to yours up in Heaven, Grandpa. I’ll take care of everyone for you, and you’ll never have to worry. We will be whole again as we hold onto your memory, and I will be your Valerita, your nieta always.
The money collected will go towards funeral and memorial expenses. We never imagined we would be in this situation right now, and we want to give my Grandpa the best.
It doesn’t feel real, but I need to say it so his soul can pass, so he can find peace, and so we may find peace as well.
If you knew my grandpa, you were incredibly lucky to experience his energy, love, and kindness fill whatever space he was in. Myself, my brothers, my grandma, and my parents were very fortunate to live in the same house as my grandpa. Anything we needed or could ever want, my grandpa was there.
Every day before my brothers and I left for school, he would call us to his room like it was a secret that he was giving us lunch money. We would always say we didn’t need it, and he would always respond: “I don’t want you to just have what you need. I want you to be able to buy things you want too.” Every time he brought us food, he made sure all our orders were right, especially me because I don’t eat meat. If anything wasn’t perfect, he’d be out the door on his way to replace it because he always wanted us to have exactly what we wanted. Even if everyone in the house was still asleep, he would get mad at my mom if he woke up and we weren’t fed yet. He would say, “Have you fed my kids!?”
When I got older, every time I came home to visit, he would always have pepino and Clamato for me because he wanted me to have my favorite snack when I got home. If we ever said we weren’t hungry, he’d always respond: “Okay, what do you want for later?” He never took no for an answer because all he ever wanted was to make his family happy.
I think the memory I will hold strongest is how much he loved with his whole heart. Seeing the way he loved my grandma, every second of every day, made me see the love I wanted in my life. He called her his Yoli, his viejita, his baby. Seeing the love he gave his daughter, my mom, how he always called her his hija, how his love for her was so strong it overflowed and became such strong, unsurpassable love for her kids, too. For us.
His love was everywhere. It was in the little things and the big things and the little things that accumulated into enormous showings of love. It was in him waking up every morning when my grandma came home from work so he could open the front gate for her. Every single day, he would make us all move the cars so my grandma’s car was backed into the driveway, and it was first, so she could have the easiest time going out for work in the morning. When I started driving, he would always wait by the gate to watch me go and make sure I was safe as far as his eye could see and he would wait for my text: “I got to school!” His love was in opening the front gate when my mom came home from work. It was in him not hesitating to ride alongside my mom’s crazy driving because my dad locked his keys in his own car and needed his help.
Him and my mom would always argue over who loved me and my brothers more. I think, sometimes, he won. He would say we were his kids. His heart was bigger than anyone in the universe.
My grandpa was the strongest force of nature God could have ever gifted us. My first year of college, when I moved away from home for the first time, he carried in all my boxes to my room for my first time away. Sometimes, when I’d visit home, I’d let the words slip, “when I used to live here,” and he’d correct me right away. “This will always be your home.”
On Father’s day this past summer, I remember waking up thinking how grateful I was to still have my grandpa in my life. I kept that thought in my mind the whole day, I was so so so grateful that I still had my grandpa, my whole heart, in my life. I was so grateful to have our family still whole, so fortunate that we had never suffered any losses. I told him that day, that I was so happy to have him in my life. His response fills my heart with so much love and joy, he said: “Gracias Valerita yo te amo te quiero mucho asta el cielo.”
“I love you so much up to Heaven.” And that’s where he loves us from, now and forever. I love you from my heart here on Earth to yours up in Heaven, Grandpa. I’ll take care of everyone for you, and you’ll never have to worry. We will be whole again as we hold onto your memory, and I will be your Valerita, your nieta always.
The money collected will go towards funeral and memorial expenses. We never imagined we would be in this situation right now, and we want to give my Grandpa the best.
Organizer
Valerie Marquez
Organizer
Lynwood, CA