Oscar Barrera Sr.

Oscar Barrera Sr. passed away peacefully at home on January 20, 2022 in Moorpark, California at the age of 90. He was a dedicated husband and loving father, a fun-loving grandfather, and remained a faithful Catholic until the end. A proud Southern Californian, but always a Texan at heart, Oscar was born in Roma, Texas in 1931. He was the son of an oilman, and in his early twenties moved to Santa Rosa, Texas where he opened a Texaco service station and met his future wife Evelina. While in Santa Rosa, he became a fully accredited member of the Ground Observer Corps of the United States Airforce Air Defense Command. Volunteers such as Oscar were essential to the war effort and were instructed to work from an unobstructed view to spot and plot the movements of potentially hostile air-crafts. In 1963, Oscar and Evelina married, decided to start a family and moved to Moorpark, California to pursue profitable work opportunities. That same year, Oscar became a member of The Laborer’s International Union of North America – Local 585 Brotherhood of Ventura and was an active retiree member until his death. In keeping with his faith, Oscar was an usher during mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Moorpark where Oscar and Evelina have been members for 58 years. Always the practical joker, Oscar enjoyed pulling pranks whether in person or on the phone and constantly used humor in everyday life. As an active and caring member of the Moorpark Estates Community, Oscar was heavily involved in bettering his neighborhood. He helped neighbors with concrete work on his days off, spoke of neighborhood issues at City Council meetings, and believed firmly in the power of your voice and the right to vote. He was a big fan of the LA Dodgers since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and a true blue Dallas Cowboys fan since their debut in 1960. With two green thumbs, 900 square feet of rich soil, and Southern California sunshine, Oscar planted several varieties of trees, plants, vegetables, and spices for decades in his backyard. He was most proud of his avocado, citrus, and cherimoya trees, along with several types of hot chili plants. Family members in Texas would look forward to yearly boxes of Oscar's impressive homegrown California fruits and vegetables. Oscar was preceded in death by his parents Rodolfo and Margarita Barrera, siblings Juanita and Alberto Barrera, and his eldest son Oscar Barrera Jr. He is survived by his devoted wife of over 58 years Evelina, loving children Veronica, Lucy, and Javier Barrera; grandchildren Bianca Sanchez, Dylan Barrera, Erik Sanchez and Alyssa Ott; great-grandchildren Elaine, Vincent, and Johnny Reyes; brothers Alvaro, Enrique, Carlos and Pepe Barrera and sister America Miller along with many other relatives in California and Texas. When ending a phone call, or saying goodbye in person, Oscar would give his blessing by saying “Que Dios te bendiga y que duermas bien” – “God bless you and may you sleep well” now Oscar, it’s our turn to send our blessings and say goodbye to you ..… “Que Dios te bendiga y que duermas bien.” Our family would like to give Special Thanks to Nurse Ryan Ouimette with TLC Home Health/Hospice in Moorpark for his relentless care, optimistic attitude, and guidance during Oscar's last years.