To my dear family and friends,

A broken heart does not even begin to describe the pain I feel or the state that I am in as I share the news of my precious papi’s passing, Santiago Perez, on the tragic morning of February 7th, 2025. My father was my light, my first love, my world (to say the least), and losing him has left me and our family utterly devastated and overwhelmingly filled with grief.

There are no words to truly describe the heartache we feel in his passing, which goes to show the beautiful and strong mark that my father made in his lifetime. And for that, I kindly and humbly seek support in honoring his life the way he deserves. As my family and I go through this difficult time, we ask for help in covering the costs of funeral expenses, memorial services, and any additional financial burdens our family is facing. Our goal is to give my papi and everyone who knew him and his loving soul, the opportunity to say goodbye and find peace amidst the pain of losing such a noble and respectable man.

Any donation, big or small, would mean the world to us and will go directly toward these costs. If you cannot contribute financially, sharing this campaign with others would be a huge help.

I want to add that asking for help does not come easily to me. As his daughter, I feel personally responsible for making sure that he feels proud of the way I honor his life, and I wish that I could do it all on my own… Unfortunately, this is the third death in our family in the past two years, first our beloved tio, Gerardo, and more recently our dear abuelito, Rosalio. After experiencing so much tragedy, I am left with no choice. Not only that but also the immeasurable love that I have for my father is what pushes me to put aside any fear or pride and do whatever it takes to create the most special ceremony I could possibly put together for such a grand man.

If you knew my father, then you would know that he lived many lives and touched many hearts.

PAPI’S STORY:

If you did not know him, well, I want to take the opportunity to briefly introduce you to the greatest man I was blessed to be raised by. No words could ever hold the true weight of the greatness of my father’s life story, but I will try.

My papi, Santiago, was born in Queretaro, MX on July 26th, 1965. He was the second to youngest sibling out of his two brothers and four sisters. He came from very humble beginnings, growing up on a ranch in San Pablo Toliman. He started working from a very young age and at some point in his teenage years, he ended up in Veracruz. Here, he was mentored by and worked under an immigration officer who taught Santiago to be dedicated, hardworking, and disciplined. In fact, he wanted to adopt Santiago because he saw that he was a responsible young man who accepted and internalized all the advice and wisdom that was offered to him. He also encouraged Santiago to take up karate as a way to fortify his mind and from what I’ve heard, my dad took it far. He was a badass who knew how to fight well but always kept the peace. Around 19 years old, Santiago started working as a chauffeur for an engineer at the Coca-Cola company. Through this job experience, he got to explore and see many different parts of Mexico.

One day, Santiago asked his older brother, Valentín, to borrow money to go to the U.S. but asked his brother to cover for him and tell everyone he was headed to San Luis Potosi. Santiago wanted to attempt to cross the border but did not want anyone to know until he actually made it. Thus, he embarked on his journey to the United States to chase bigger and better dreams. He had the goal of making more money and creating a life that felt rich, not just in material but in mind, body, and soul. The people who knew Santiago at this time of his life say that he always wanted more, more, and more from this life and that he declared he would have it if only he set his mind to it, and guess what? He arrived in the U.S. in May of 1986 and started working at a clothing factory for six months until he heard about the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. It was an amnesty program that legalized millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 6, 1986, and my dad wasted no time in getting his papers. One of the conditions was that you had to work in the fields so he did and this is how he became a legal citizen.

After receiving his U.S. citizenship, Santiago went back to work in a clothing factory and slowly started building himself up. He learned to speak, read, and write in English in his 20’s. Meanwhile, around 1989-1990, Santiago was also a coyote, not only helping people cross the border from Tijuana to the U.S. but also all the way from El Salvador to the U.S. and it was a dangerous job but a noble one. He simply wanted to help his people. He did this for a couple of years but retired because he wanted to stay out of trouble and follow the law. Santiago valued doing things correctly and was very intelligent.

Around 1997, Santiago met the woman of his dreams, Laura. He was ready to get married, become a homeowner, and raise children. Laura had two daughters and three sons and he accepted them and took care of all of them because that is the kind of man he was. A year later, I, Nathalie Perez, was born in 1998 and in 1999, my parents got married and began their life together. In 2001, my little sister, Kelsy Perez, was born and thus, our family was beautiful and complete.

Santiago loved his wife and daughters with his entire being. So, he needed to provide more and left the clothing factory for a job as a taxi driver. Although he was focused on building and providing, he somehow still found the time to become the founder of a religious community called Divino Salvador Los Angeles, in 2003. Santiago was part of a generation of immigrants who were pioneers in coming to the United States, and who wanted to preserve their memories and traditions. This foundation is now a site for our cultural identity to live on. Thanks to God and the courage of the Perez and the Batres families, the many hearts of Mexico’s people who came to America for a better life were able to receive help in crossing and sustaining their sense of community once they arrived. Santiago is well known by many people for helping anyone and everyone who needed it. If it was not for my dad, my family in Mexico would have never gotten to know El Norte (the U.S.).

Over time, Santiago moved from apartment to house to house until he found the safest community possible for his family. From Inglewood to Lawndale, to Moreno Valley, to his final settling in Paramount, CA in 2006.

When we arrived at our home in Paramount, I asked my father why he had chosen our neighborhood. He told me that he appreciated how quiet it was at night—no sounds of airplanes, gunshots, or police sirens… Looking back, I see now that only a good dad would think that way. His words were simple, but they always carried profound depth.

Santiago was the type of man who worked six days a week and only rested on Sundays. He was very ambitious. A true hustler because he also owned different businesses while keeping his day job. Businesses such as a clothing store, a liquor store, a party supply, a towing truck, and an ice cream truck (some of these endeavors were what his wife wished for and what his wife wanted, he granted). He was so sweet that he even named the stores he owned, after his daughters. Everyone knew him as a hard worker but also as a music lover. He liked to bump musica Norteña, romanticas, cumbias, disco, and all types of feel-good songs and many more genres. He loved to dance and laugh and relax with a corona y limon. He consistently called his family members over the phone to check up on them. He threw the biggest birthday parties for his children and always protected us. He had un estilo Norteña with his leather botas and matching belt and fresh flannel button-ups. He may have worked very hard but was never too tired to spend time with his family on his one day off, every weekend, as we were growing up… He had a routine of taking us to church, to shop at the Roadium swapmeet, and to eat at the Pollo Inka in Lawndale before coming home to DJ for the neighborhood (he blasted his music proudly from our living room). He was the type of man who put God and family above all else and spread love everywhere he went through his good vibes and life advice. I could lovingly go on forever, about Santiago, that is how special he was. How special he is, to me.

To be truthful, none of these words feel like they suffice to tell the life story of my papi lindo. So many more details and so many more things he accomplished that I wish to share. It truly breaks me to have to describe the last years of his life because, in them, he fell ill due to diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney failure. I know my dad was scared but he decided to be fearless like he always was and went on dialysis for the last four and a half years of his life. He fought hard until his very last moments. He fought with the hope of getting a transplant and being with us for as long as God would grant him. In the end, he could no longer work and I know that pained him because he loved to provide for us, but at the very least, he got to enjoy the home that he worked so hard for, tend to his garden, and his many fruit trees and vegetable plants, and most importantly he got to spend time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

I give endless thank yous to God for allowing me to take care of him in his last days and to allow my mom and I to be by his side in his final moments. I also give all the thanks to my mother for doing all of the caretaking throughout my dad’s journey. I know it wasn’t easy to watch her husband suffer, to say the least. But I also know that it was her love for him that fueled her to be there for him no matter what and that my dad appreciates her for carrying him through to the very end.

After witnessing this type of love, I consider my parents a match made in Heaven because only a Queen could be fit for a King like Santiago Perez.

Santiago lived a life where he flew without limits and that is why I wanted to share a little bit of his story with you. If you’d like to pay your respects, no matter who you are, I kindly and openly invite and welcome you to celebrate his life with us at his funeral.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your time, attention, prayers, kindness, generosity, love, and support during these painfully heavy times.

God bless you, and please remember to cherish those close to your heart because you never know when the last time will be the last. Allow yourself to love and be loved—that is what my papi taught me, and that is how I plan to carry him with me for the rest of my life.

If you know my love and my spirit, then you know Santiago’s heart.

With love and gratitude,

Nathalie PEREZ and Family