Lillian Cornelia Vasquez passed away peacefully in her sleep in the late afternoon of November 15 at the Hospice House in Eureka. She was 65 years old.

She was born in Los Angeles on November 26, 1956 to Martha Garcia, of Native Ancestry from the Four Corners area. She suffered a life threatening accident at age 14 where she had to learn how to walk again and was told she’d not be able to bear children. Against all odds not only was she able to walk again, she was a great dancer, loved to roller skate, and was blessed with a baby girl in 1977.

She was an incredibly loving mother and was very active in her daughters schooling. She studied early childhood education and became a preschool teacher for the city of Los Angeles, where she received an award for her dedication. She also moonlit as a waitress and frequently maintained at least three jobs as a single mother to support her daughter and her mother. In the last 10 years of her career she worked for the Los Angeles Unified School district, focused on special needs students. As a result of the traumatic brain injury in her youth, she suffered from dyslexia and always advocated for those with special needs and the less fortunate.

In her retirement she was the primary caregiver for her mother and they both moved to Arcata in 2012 to be near family. In Humboldt, she spent time volunteering at Loleta Union School, supporting local charities, and assisting elderly neighbors. She loved the Samoa Cookhouse and could be seen there often with her dog Bambi.

In 2016 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis she adopted a rescue puppy from the Sequoia Humane Society, which brought her a tremendous amount of joy during her trying battle with cancer. She was incredibly giving, thoughtful and had strong faith with the Jehovahs’ Witness community. She led a life of service and will be missed dearly.

Private services will be held in the coming months. Donations can be made in her honor to the Sequoia Humane Society at sequoiahumane.org. She is survived by her mother Martha, 97; her daughter Cherrie, 45; and her dog Bambi.

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Lillian Vasquez’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.