In Memory of My Dear Friend, Salvador "Chava" Guerra: Rest in peace.

SALVADOR "CHAVA" GUERRA
January 04, 1970 - September 25, 2011
"My SA" Obituary (click here):
"Puente and Sons" Obituary and
Online 'Guest Book' (click here):

NOTE:  It is October 2013 when I write/post this homage to Sal.  I decided to date/post it on the actual day he passed away)!

Sal was a wonderful person.  I remember him best during the time I lived in San Antonio, Texas.  Sal started working at the Kmart (Hwy 90) store about a year after I started working there.  He was assigned to work with Mary Gonzales and I.  We all got along really well right away.  Sal was like a little brother to me.  I don't say that lightly either.  Aside from my real, older brother whom I love, I have only placed this honor of brother to my nephew John.

Anyway Sal, Mary and I were always cutting up.  We laughed at everything and everyone.  Nothing and no one was out of bounds.  It was an equal opportunity roast fest for us.  Especially endearing to me were the times Sal and I talked about things we loved and had in common, i.e.: movies, sports, cars, jokes, music.  Many-a-time Sal and I took songs we liked and re-wrote the lyrics.  We especially liked to do this when we knew others liked a particular song - just to ruin it for them.  Many times we did that to songs another co-worker (Gloria Bustos) liked.  Gloria was a lovely lady and she was a blast to hang around with as well.  She was older than Sal and me - much like Mary - but both had such a great ability to cut-up and joke around.

Sal also taught me the ends and outs of Mexico's political party system and other government data as it applied to Mexico.  He was born in Mexico and was always proud of that fact.  He always defended his country and fellowman if anyone dissed anything/anyone associated with his beloved country.  Sal also loved his United States and was just as avid with his passion for America!  When he graduated from Holmes H.S. (San Antonio), Sal enrolled in the U.S. Marine Corps.  His intent was to try to make it a career; he had a passion for law enforcement and such.  Unfortunately Sal's plans went another way and he returned to San Antonio and enrolled at SA College (SAC).  He studied hard and took all classes he could so he could still pursue a career in law enforcement.  He always had stories to share with me of stuff he learned at college.  Most of the time we went on and on about stuff and before we knew it - it was time to clock out.  We always multi-tasked...we never stopped working as we talked.  In fact our conversations usually made work go by really fast, and as young people, we did not mind the work since each of us aspired to do more in life.  This job at Kmart was a good start.  A decent living and I am glad I worked there or I would not have met all the fantastic people I did or have been able to make friends with most of them.  For certain I am grateful that this job allowed me to meet Sal.  He was the best.

Thank you, Sal, for always making me laugh, for reminding me to 'smell the roses', for telling me that 'a smile was just a frown upside down' (both of us was corny and geeky that way), for sharing so much of your personal life with me, for teaching me so many things, for letting me play teacher to you as well, and mostly for being so protective of me.  You were there for me through so many good times and bad ones.  I will forever love you for trying to fight my battles for me when one person in particular tried to make my life difficult.  You acted like a brother and made things okay and you helped to make me see how much better I was just by believing in myself and acknowledging that I deserved so much more.

Sal and I lost touch for several years after I left SA, but we reconnected about 8 years ago via email, etc.  He was happy.  He was as cheerful and positive as ever. Before I realized it, we had lost touch again.  It was my trying to reconnect with Sal a few months ago that I found out he had passed away.  He died almost two months before I lost Mama in November (11-17-11).  I was so sad and so hurt.  My tears and my pain were almost constant for a long while after I found out he died (remember I am writing this on 10-16-13 and just only found out that he died on 09-17-13; almost two years after he died).  It was so surreal and all too strange.  It really hit hard because of his age.  He was just three and a half years younger than me.  I guess I was also just missing those good ole days and my hopes to reconnect with him were shattered.  I mostly felt bad for his family.  His Mom had already died before Sal, but he left behind siblings whom adored him.  My heart went out to his wife, son and daughter.  Persons like Sal are hard to copy and can never be replaced.

In closing I just want to say that I am humbled by the awesome opportunity G-d gave me to have met Sal and to have shared part of my life with him.  He will forever be missed. 

Always,

Dora (a.k.a. "Laura Ingalls")...the nickname Sal gave me.  'Love him bunches!!!

Pictures of Sal in post below: "Sal's Pix".