Othon De Los Rios

Othón De Los Ríos Medina, 79, died Saturday, April 13, 2019 at his home in National City, CA following a brief bout with Anemia Refractory with Excess Blasts.
 
Mr. De Los Rios leaves his wife of 47 years, Mary (Palma) De Los Rios; his three sons, Tomas, Othon Jr., and Oscar; five grandchildren, Othon, Pablo, Esteban, Hiram, and Olivia; Sisters, Maria de Jesus, Catalina, Hortencia, and Carmen De Los Rios; and many, many close friends and family members.
 
Othon was born and raised in Acaponeta, Nayarit, Mexico, the son of Pablo De Los Rios and Francisca Medina, living more than half of his life in National City, CA.
 
In his early years, Mr. De Los Rios would help tend cattle on his father’s ranch. Othon was only 16 when his father passed, at which time he began to sell baked goods to help provide for the family. At the age of 17, Mr. De Los Rios was sent by his mother to live with his father’s brother in Culiacan, Mexico, where he spent a few years going to school and doing odd jobs. In 1958 he joined “La Campaña contra el Paludismo,” where he spent 10 years of his life in the mountains and villages of Sinaloa, Durango, and Chihuahua, helping to eradicate malaria and the dengue virus outbreaks.
 
Upon receiving news of his mother’s stomach cancer in early 1968, he resigned his position at “La Campaña contra el Paludismo” and moved to Tijuana, Mexico to be with his mother. She succumbed to her illness in July of 1968. Soon after, Mr. De Los Rios immigrated to San Diego, CA to live with his sister Maria. He met his wife at a neighborhood gathering and was married in December 1971.
 
Mr. De Los Rios and his wife Mary briefly moved to Los Angeles, CA and return to San Diego a year later at the behest of Mary. That same year, he finds employment at Bumble Bee Seafoods and is employed there until his layoff in 1982, finding himself doing odd jobs for 2 years until finding permanent employment as a custodian with the National School District in National City in 1984. He spent most of his employment at Central School as head custodian, retiring in 2004.
 
Mr. De Los Rios was best known for helping the needy, his family and friends, and serving his community. Always relishing the time he spent with his family and friends.
 
He had a passion for gardening, singing on his karaoke machine, dancing, and listening to the music of Javier Solis and Trio Los Panchos.
A funeral service is scheduled for 5:00 PM on Monday April 22 at California Burial Mortuary on Highland Ave. in National City, with a private mas and burial the following day at 10:00 AM.
 

Para los que amé y para los que me amaron

Que su tristeza se convierta en confianza y fe.

Es solo por un momento que vamos a estar separados.

Asi que bendigan los recuerdos de su corazon.

Luego cuando les toque venir por este mismo camino,
yo saldré a recibirlos con una sonrisa y decirles bienvenidos.

To those I loved and to those who loved me.

Let your grief be comforted by trust and faith.

It's only for a while that we must part.
So bless those memories in your heart.

And then, when you must come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile and welcome you home.

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