Salvador Sumaya

Salvador Roque Sumaya passed away peacefully on November 15, 2024. He was 89 years old, and the last remaining child of Ramon and Nolberta Sumaya. He was born on August 9, 1935, at the home of his grandmother, Mama Tea on Herald Street in Redlands, California. Salvador was the fourth child, and the second son, and throughout his entire life he was very devoted to his family. 

As a child, he would often travel with his parents to harvest various crops throughout the state. This helped develop his strong work ethic. As a young man, he joined the Army and received training in Germany. He served until being honorably discharged on May 17, 1960. During his time in active duty, he received the rank of 1st Class Gunner, Marksman, and Sharpshooter. He also received a Good Conduct Medal. He would forever be proud of serving his country. His time spent overseas also sparked in him a love for languages, world history, and culture. It was not uncommon for him to greet friends and family in German or French. 

Upon returning to Redlands, Salvador continued his education. Having left high school after the 9th grade in order to work and help support his family, he went back to school and received his high school diploma in 1969. Salvador gave many years of service to Loma Linda University Medical Center, working as a custodian. He was known for being very responsible and very committed to his work. 

He enjoyed genealogy and loved sharing detailed stories, including his own eyewitness accounts of his grandparents and their relatives. His keen memory and love of history allowed him to preserve a great deal of family history so it could be passed down to the next generation. He was very proud of his roots and very thankful to be a Redlands native. He greatly enjoyed the spoken word and was also never afraid to share his opinions and convictions. He often pondered moral and ethical solutions to real-life challenges.

Salvador treasured his Catholic faith and enjoyed reading his daily prayers. The Magnificat was one of his favorite readings. Music was also one of his greatest joys. He was a big fan of several genres of music, including classical music and jazz, as well as Mexican boleros. He enjoyed playing guitar and he had a wonderful singing voice. He loved reaching out to children and was eager to share the wisdom he had learned with the next generation

One of the things that defined Salvador’s life was his strong, loving commitment to his family. He showed love in tangible ways such as giving his paycheck to his mother when he first started working. He used his savings to help other family members in need. He was also known as a great encourager to his friends he saw weekly at dialysis. Whether he was sitting on his porch or doing errands around town he greeted people with a hearty “How’s it going, buddy?” which always helped brighten the mood. Some of his hallmark sayings were “Don’t Give up!” and “Looking Good!” He will be greatly missed by friends and family.

Visitation and the Recitation of the Rosary will be Tuesday, December 3, 2024 from 5-7pm at Emmerson-Bartlett Memorial Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 115 w. Olive Ave., Redlands, CA on Wednesday, December 4th at 11am. Interment will follow at Hillside Memorial Park, 1540 Alessandro Rd., Redlands, CA at 1pm.