Wednesday, September 5, 2007
He was an icon in Fullerton
Ray Juarez's El Sombrero Café was a community gathering spot.
By ROBIN HINCH
The Orange County Register
The last thing on the mind of Ray Juarez, as he moved quietly through his 94 years, was public notoriety.
He didn't mean to create a stir when fighting to become one of the first Mexican Americans hired by the city of Fullerton.
Giving patrons free meals and helping them financially through hard times when he owned the El Sombrero Cafe in Fullerton just came naturally to him.
And when he started offering military funerals through the Placentia American Legion post, well, he saw it as just the right thing to do.
Through it all, though, Ray, who died at home in Placentia Sept. 2, became a local icon, known for his wisdom, fairness and honesty. And like it or not, his name appeared frequently in local newspapers.
Born in 1913 at home in Fullerton on the Chapman family's El Dorado Ranch on the corner of Berkeley Street and Harbor Boulevard (then called Spadra), where the Orange County Justice Center sits now.
Ray was one of 13 children, six of whom died in infancy. His father, Frank, was ranch foreman and Ray developed a lifelong love of plants by helping him irrigate the orange groves.
Ray learned early to fight for his rights when his father fought putting his children in Maple Elementary School for Mexican children and got them enrolled, instead, in the largely white Ford Elementary.
After graduating from Fullerton High School in 1933, Ray enlisted in the Army and served as a military policeman during World War II, guarding prisoners of war, service for which he received personal recognition from Gen. Dwight D. Eishenhower.
He married Maria Esqueda in 1950.
When he returned home and applied for a job with the Fullerton Parks Department, he was told they didn't hire Mexicans. The parks superintendent, Harry Byerrum, however, went to bat for Ray and got special City Council permission for him to join the staff.
At Hillcrest and Maple (now Lemon) parks, he planted trees, helped lay out ball fields, installed lighting and poured cement slabs for square dancing.
In his spare time, Ray loved to play billiards, and often played at a billiard place on Harbor Boulevard.
One day in the early '50s, the owner, Carl Pace, offered to sell it to him and help him get financing. Ray named it El Sombrero Cafe and created a popular gathering place for the many Mexican workers coming to Orange County for work in the fields and in construction.
Located at 415 S. Harbor, with a bar and the billiard table in front and a restaurant in back, it quickly became famous for its huge - and hugely delicious - $1 chile verde burritos.
Mostly, though, it was the ambience that drew throngs of Mexicans lonely for a touch of home as they struggled to support families in Mexico.
They came for the friendship, the mariachi music and for Ray's gentle advice and assistance. Walking into the crowded, smoke-filled tavern brought them instant comfort.
If they needed a loan, Ray was there. If they were short on cash, the food was free. Ray kept markers in a shoebox of who owed what, but never tried to collect. When he sold the business 30 years later, they totaled about $4,000.
When Ray sold the business, he couldn't stop working. He took a class on hardware and worked for a Handyman store. Next, he worked for a book binder, than became a greeter at Sam's Club.
Ray also volunteered with American Legion Post 277 in Placentia, where, in 1985, he organized a Color Guard program in which uniformed members provide free military honors at funerals, a service they offer about 100 times a year. In the beginning, Ray's wife washed the uniforms at home to save money.
He adored his family and savored family barbecues more than anything. He taught his children to love people and not harbor anger. "It's not worth the effort," he said.
Interviewed for this story: Son, Michael; friend, Rick Aguirre.
Contact the writer:
Juarez, Raymond, was born January 6, 1913. He died peacefully at home of natural causes on September 2nd with his family at his side. He is survived by his wife, Maria; his three children, Michael, Juarez, Leticia Vega (Mod), and Andy Juarez (Stephanie), and his three grandchildren, Thalia, Mark and Grace-Marie Vega. He is also survived by his brother, Joe and sisters, Josephine and Bea. The Rosary and viewing will be held Friday at McAulay and Wallace (714) 525-4721, 902 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, from 6-8 p.m. The funeral services will be held at St. Angela Merici Catholic Church located at 585 S. Walnut Ave. in Brea on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. McAulay & Wallace Mortuary
Published in the Orange County Register on 9/6/2007.
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