Anthony Victor Mendoza

Anthony "Tony" Victor Mendoza was born on December 23, 1946, to Magdaleno and Rafaela Mendoza in Los Angeles, California. He was the youngest of 4 children. His siblings are Aurora "Dora", Isabel, and Virginia. As a child, he loved pretending to be a cowboy and he was known to be mischievous. He was once hung on a hook by his overalls to keep the peace. As a teenager, his nickname was "wolfie". His love for cars began at that time. He used to take his Ford Falcon to the drag strip and race.

He started high school at Garfield High School and transferred to El Rancho High School when the family moved to Pico Rivera. He graduated in 1965. Despite graduating from El Rancho, he always identified with Garfield more. He attended East LA College and earned an associate degree.

In 1966, he married for the first time. Gina was his first child, born in 1967. Anthony followed in 1968. The family lived in Pico Rivera, Whittier, Hacienda Heights, and Diamond Bar. He ultimately divorced in 1987.

Tony met Diana Gonzalez in 1992. His third child, Camilla was born in 1993. They moved to Whittier with Diana’s daughter’s Marisa and Gia. They called the home in Whittier home for more than 30 years.

Tony had a long 35-year career with the Southern California Gas Company. He started as a crew assistant, moved up to a crew leader, and he eventually he retired as a field planner in 2005. He worked at the Belvedere, Whittier, and Pomona bases. He was so proud of his work that he repeatedly would point out the buildings and homes he worked on.

He was a big sports fan. In high school he played football and was on the track team. As a young parent, he coached Gina's softball teams and Anthony's youth league football teams. Tony even played slow pitch softball with his coworkers at the Gas Company. He enjoyed running/walking 5k races with Marisa and Anthony. He even liked watching sports, in person/liver or on the TV. He went to all of Anthony's high school football games, Jonathan and Andrew's (his grandsons) youth and high school football games, he went to the boy’s track meets, and he went to Camilla's volleyball games. Tony went to his granddaughter Victoria’s first dance recital. He was proud of our athletic achievements. Aside from his family involvement, he even volunteered doing security at St. Paul High School football games. Tony was a fan of the Rams, Lakers and Dodgers. He got to see the Dodgers win the World Series this year, and was very happy.

Tony enjoyed the outdoors. He would go camping every year, and San Diego was a favorite. He loved fishing and he owned a boat. It didn't matter if he was deep sea fishing, fishing in a lake, or fishing lakeside. He just loved it. A goodtime was sure to be had. Barbecuing was another favorite outdoor activity. Lastly, he liked doing yard work. He had a green thumb, and he got if from his dad. He planted fruit trees and various plants. He was fond of palm trees. At one point in his life, he had a home to go and groom the lawn for every day of the week! Tony loved his dogs and birds so much, that he made sure that he was home by 4pm to feed them.

Socially, he was a proud non-veteran member of the Boys of Belvedere. He was a volunteer usher at St. Mary's every Sunday. Afterwards, he was sure to visit his 3rd grandchild, Victoria.

In 2023, Camilla tragically passed away. He took the unexpected loss hard, and he was unable to cope. Tony passed on the morning of November 10, 2024, at the age of 77. He now joins Camilla in heaven. He’s exactly where he wants to be. We will miss the fond memories of Tony Mendoza. He loved being a father and grandfather. Love you dad.

A funeral service for Anthony will be held Tuesday, November 26, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at St Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 7215 Newlin Ave, Whittier, California 90602-1266. Following the funeral service will be a graveside service from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601.

Anthony will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601; Prado Del Valle; Gate: 1, Section: 3, Lot: 7511, Grave: 4.