Obituary of Hector Ochoa

Three daughters, Irene Norwood, Elaine Albanese, Yvonne Swanson, 13 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren survive him. Hector and his older brother, Raul were raised by their grandmother and widowed mother in Los Angeles. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1936. Hector met his future wife, Alice in junior high, but did not date until years later when they met at dance clubs and enjoyed dancing to the big band orchestras of their era. They were married in 1942 and two weeks after, Hector was drafted by the Army and sent to the South Pacific during WWII. As a radio operator during the war, he was a target of sniper fire, along with other perils of war; he endured dingy fever, jungle rot, stingray bite and a tapeworm. In 1945 the war ended and he was reunited with Alice. Together they raised three daughters and a stepson, Bob. Hector worked 33 years with the Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles. Upon retiring, they moved to Simi Valley to be near their children and grandchildren. Hector was a loving and generous father, grandfather, and uncle, always ready to help out in anyway he could. He leaves a void in our hearts and we will miss him dearly. Our only solace is to believe that he is reunited with his wife of 71 years and imagining that their dance continues. A memorial service will be held at the Rose Family Mortuary on Saturday February 8, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.; burial to follow at Assumption Cemetery in Simi Valley, Ca.