Obituaries

Lenora Maxine Pettis Vela On August 13, 1927 Lenora Maxine Pettis Vela was born. On July 5, 2002 she passed away in her sleep due to a heart attack.She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Henry R. Vela, Jr., and stepson Ronald F. Vela.She was a devoted homemaker for life and a Real Estate broker in Santa Paula during her career. During her life she was a very strong member of the Democratic Party. In her earlier years she was a golden girl selected to represent Ventura County for the Democratic Convention for President John F. Kennedy’s campaign. She also volunteered as a Pink Lady up at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital.She was a detail artist. She won the blue ribbon award at the Ventura County Fair with one of her oil paintings. She enjoyed a beautiful art collection including some antiques as well as oriental art pieces and oil paintings.She enjoyed spending her time gardening and loved her rose garden, as well as growing orchids. Bird watching was one of her favorite pastimes. She also enjoyed barbecuing for 4th of July celebrations with family, and having Christmas celebrated in her home. She loved being around her family most of all.She will be dearly missed by her surviving family, who are: son, John R. Vela of Las Cruces, New Mexico; daughter Phyllis Vela-Broyles; stepson Henry C. Vela; grandsons, Brian Dickenson, Scott Dickenson, Jeff Dickenson, and Andrew Richards; granddaughters, Melissa Buck, Kristy Rhodes, Diana Martinez, Ricci Laureano, Tammy Lample, and Cassy Vela; great grandsons, Mark Buck Jr., Jimmy Martinez Jr., Christopher Laureano, Joey Laureano, Nicholas Laureano, Brandon Vela, and Jacob Gomez; great granddaughters, Meaghan Rhodes and Cassidy Rhodes, Amanda Buck, Alexandra Martinez, and Isabella Gomez; great-great grandson Jacob Buck; sister, Jacqueline Pettis Barber of Bridgeton, New Jersey; brother, Edwin Russel Pettis of Wilson, North Carolina; and sisters-in-law, Lupita Hernandez and Camina Almanzan.