MARY K. GOMEZ

May 24, 1931 - January 24, 2021

Mary (Katie) Gomez, 89, passed away and went to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at the Montebello Convalescent Hospital in Montebello, CA. Her heart was now tired but it had served her well during her long life. Katie was born on May 24, 1931 in Los Angeles, CA to the late Porfirio Barragan and Faye Lauria. She is survived by her dear brother, Gilbert Barragan; her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews. Katie married the late Louis J. Gomez Sr in 1952 in Yuma, AZ. After he passed in 1962, she became a young widow with five young children. Katie never remarried and dedicated her life to raising her children: Juanita (Ernie) Cabrera, Louis (Birdie) Gomez Jr, William Gomez Sr, Debra Gomez, and Ronald (Charla) Gomez. She loved her dear grandchildren: Elizabeth (Frank) Denegri, Nichole Anderson, William (Omar) Gomez Jr, Eric Gomez, Joey (Amanda) Cabrera, Kathy (Kevin) Cabrera, Vanessa (Jason) Cabrera, Amber Smith, Daniel (Lauren) Gomez, Emmanuel Gomez, Ian Gomez, Lena Verdugo, Steven Cabrera, and Maria (Ray) Torres. She took great delight in seeing her great-grandchildren: Cameron, Emily, Aileen, Nathan, Jackson, Aubrey, Ava, Preslee, Weston, Noah, Silas, Julian, Angelo. And, even furry Josie! In 1972 Katie accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and dedicated her life to serving God. She placed her life and trust in Him, even when her health was failing. In 1983/1984 Katie attended East Los Angeles College, enrolling in Child Development classes. While a student at ELAC, she made the Dean's List! She was an avid reader, enjoying her Bible, her many crime and suspense novels, various other books and the Los Angeles Times. She especially enjoyed the daily crossword puzzle. She was not happy if her paper was not delivered! She loved to cook, until it became too difficult; but, she loved to buy cookbooks and enjoyed sharing them with her daughters, granddaughters and other family members. Katie loved watching her favorite TV shows and novelas and avidly followed the daily news, especially her favorite, Brian Williams on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour”. She loved listening to Mexican music and oldies on the Art Laboe radio show. She also enjoyed watching horror movies. Before being confined to her home, she enjoyed trips to the movie theatre, especially when her granddaughter, Liz, introduced her to the recliner type seats! Katie enjoyed visiting family whenever she could. She was caring, loving and always had a smile on her face. She loved talking to people and always saw the best in everyone. She was so thoughtful, sending birthday and Christmas cards, even through the end of 2020. She loved to donate to various charities, including a group of Native American children. She will be dearly missed by her family and those who knew and loved her. A private memorial service is being held at the end of February, however, the family is planning a graveside service, the date to be determined. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, please contact the family for service information. Condolences may be sent through our website.