Jose Luis Sanchez

Jose Luis Sanchez (Papi) passed away on February 2, 2021. He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Margarita L. Sanchez of Menifee, California. He is also survived by his children, Margarita Sanchez-Padilla and her husband Jorge, Tony Sanchez and his wife, Patsy, Clara Sanchez, Leticia Scott and her husband Michael, Jose Manuel Sanchez and his wife, Antoinette, Belen Sanchez, and Omar Sanchez. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Born on February 25,1945, in Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico to Gumersindo and Maria Sanchez, Jose Luis learned the value of hard work at a young age. His early years were spent working in agriculture and raising livestock. At the age of 15, his family moved to Ensenada, Baja California, where he continued his work in agriculture and then eventually became a bus driver. It was at this job that he met Margarita, who he fell in love with and married on October 2, 1966. After their wedding, Jose and Margarita settled in El Toro (now Lake Forest), California, where he worked at Baker Ranch for three years and then at Leisure World for 38 years. He and his family eventually moved to Santa Ana, California where they raised their seven children. In 2004, they relocated to the Inland Empire where they resided in Murrieta, Wildomar, and Menifee. Family was a vital part of Papi’s life. He was extremely proud of his seven children and he relished in all their accomplishments. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought great joy to his life. He cherished them and his eyes would always sparkle with joy when they were in his presence. Papi never shied away from hard work. He was proud of his strength and his ability to provide for his family. Timeliness was very important to him; he was never late to work, in fact, he always made it a point to be 30 minutes early. As an immigrant, he achieved the American dream by working hard, owning a home, and raising his children to become professionals. An avid Dodgers fan, he enjoyed watching them win the World Series this past year. He retired in 2007 and spent his free time working in his backyard, playing solitaire, keeping in touch with family and friends on Facebook, sharing family history and enjoying his wife’s delicious cooking. He also enjoyed annual trips to Mexico to visit his birth place as well as to Cancun. In 2016, he and his wife Margarita renewed their wedding vows in Cancun accompanied by their children and grandchildren. It was an unforgettable trip. There are so many words that can be used to describe Papi-friendly, loving, playful, responsible, funny, talkative, proud, and extremely hard-working. He made all who he came in contact with feel special, was loved by everyone he met and will be missed greatly.