Juan Candelaria Ontiveros

Please see the service time and location below.

Juan Ontiveros came into this world on October 21, 1933, right there in the dusty little town of Berino, New Mexico—to Antonio Ontiveros and Cruz Candelario, folks who didn't have much, but gave him and his siblings love.

He grew up with six brothers and sisters—kicking up dirt, laughing till it hurt, chasing whatever felt good before life got heavy with farms and ranches. Married young, he built afamily that stretched across twenty-five years: six kids, born from Texas to Arizona. And in Arizona—where his last child came into the world in the nineteen-seventies—he stayed. Took care of the house, the kids, the yard, while holding down early-morning shifts as a landscaper. He'd head out before dawn, come home by early afternoon, hands still smelling of fresh-cut grass. Until retirement.

In the nineteen-nineties, he moved out west and bought a home—nothing grand, but his own. Tended plants, bushes, trees like they were old friends.

He Loved pinto beans, butterscotch, Jolly Ranchers, Popsicles. Mornings were four sugars to one coffee, then a long bike ride until age said slow down. Still, he'd grin through M A S H, Golden Girls, Andy Griffith, Bonanza reruns. Welcomed every visitor with grace, a warm hello—his heart big enough for anyone.

Juan joins his parents, brother, sister gone before.

Survived by brother Carlos, sister Kika, kids Danny, Juana, Cecilia, Edward, Henry, and late Angel. Plus, grandchildren, and countless greats. We'll miss you, Juan—your shaking hands on the carport railing, the way you'd wave us over with that slow smile. The bike seat is still warm, but you're not on it. Rest easy. We love you.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Juan Candelaria Ontiveros, please visit our floral store.