When I think of my father-in-law, I think of sugar packets. Sharing a birthday with him over the 20 years that I have known him, we always tried to celebrate our day over lunch. After he moved from LA to Apple Valley, CA in the Mojave Desert, our lunches became less frequent. But more purposeful and meaningful. We sat for hours at lunch buffets talking and exchanging stories. I knew Mario Jr. (my husband/his son) had heard these stories before so I proceeded with caution asking questions that soon enough prompted a story. And to my surprise these stories brought other memories of characters that my husband never heard before. "I never heard that story dad, tell us!" he'd said. And so Mario Senior would began.

He'd get so excited, vividly trying to tell me the right words. To make me see the people. The sequence of how it all turned out. Then he'd reach for the sugar packets on the table. He'd set the packets on one side, the sweet and low pinks were the Tias, the blue were the Tios. He moved them in an animation concierto, talking, running, jumping over the Tapatio sauce and even the pepper dispenser. That was the time he was being chased by someone. The time he got into a fist fight. He'd pause. Take a sip of his drink and then go on to the story of his tattoes. To the story of how he was sent to Mexico and learned to ride a horse. The time he was discriminated against for not talking perfect Spanish. The time he moved to Mississippi and worked as a Naval Draftsman. The time he saved someone's life. The time he joined the Brown Barets marching in East LA.

That was my father-in-law full of imagination and stories. When I think of him, I will always think of him with sugar packets and condiments telling his stories. He was fearless, adventurous, God-loving, kind and my friend-a storyteller.

Mario Ybarra Sr. passed away 12/22 at home in Arizona City, Arizona where he was in Hospice Care for the past week. His death was unexpected as we had gotten high hopes from doctors that he was healing after suffering an aneurysm. His wife and children had made arrangements for him to be taken care at home, buying a specialized bed and other medical equipment to take proper care of him at home. Because a lot was invested in his healing, now we have to figure out how to pay for a big part of his funeral arrangements. Our family is in need of support to pay for his funeral service and transportation costs from Arizona to CA where we are hoping to bury him. It was Mario's wish to be buried next to his mother who passed away a couple of years ago. Mario impacted a lot of people throughout his life. We hope we can fulfill his wish to be at peace and home. There is no small contribution, so please if you can support him and our family at this time, we would be will be eternally grateful to you. In his memory, I give you thanks.