Manuela "Nellie" Esquibel

Manuela Esquibel, 90, born on July 06, 1934, in El Paso, TX, United States, passed away February 01, 2025. She resided in San Dimas, CA at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Covina Hills, CA.

The daughter of Ramona Apodaca and Lazaro Padilla, Nellie was one of 9 children born in El Paso, Texas. Nellie and Joe were married in 1960 and raised their children, Sylvia Patricia Rubal, Rebecca Ramona Esquibel, and Joe Peter Esquibel in El Monte until 1989 when they moved to Mira Loma. She was grandmother to Elise, Janel, Ariane, Cameron, Vanessa, Joseph, and Grace and great-grandmother to Gavin, Carter, Max, Scarlett, and Sammy. She was also aunt and great aunt to many who loved her and kept in contact over the years.

Nellie loved cooking, reading, and going to the casino with her sisters, Josie and Irene, and her niece, Elsa. She loved nice leopard print clothes, good handbags, jewelry, and a cold beer. She especially loved dancing with Joe in the kitchen to country western songs or oldies. Nellie and Joe were the kind of calm and enduring relationship that most people aspire to. Throughout their 56-year marriage, they were best friends, always united, and she was his primary caretaker during his last years until his passing in 2016.

During the last 9 years, she lived with Joe Peter and Gabby, then moved in with Sylvia and Alex and spent the last year and a half with Ariane and Sammy, enjoying the great-grandchildren playing in her room while she listened to Freddy Fender and Chris Stapleton. 

The passing of Nellie is not just the end of a well-lived and blessed life, it is also the end of an era. She was the last of the Esquibel siblings and their spouses as well as the last, save one, of the Padilla siblings. She was traditional about celebrating holidays and making excellent Mexican food and she loved a good party. While she was mostly a stay-at-home wife and mother, she was fiercely independent, spoke her mind, and, if you were someone she loved, she accepted you as you were and forgave you for any missteps. She was a 5-foot-tall spitfire who would do whatever she could to support and protect you; you just had to drive the car to get her there.

While Nellie will be greatly missed, her family knows she lived a great life. They understand that it was time to meet Joe and dance in the kitchen once again.