Mercedes Teresa Hamilton

Mercedes Teresa Hamilton was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, on October 15, 1940. She passed away in Sierra Madre, California, on December 25, 2021, at the age of 81, with her daughter by her bedside. She is survived by her daughter, Maria (Jim), and her beloved grandson, Alejandro.

Mercedes grew up in the beautiful port city of Mazatlán. She loved the beach, adored seafood, and her hometown held a special place in her heart all of her life. She graduated from the Colegio Remington and started working as an administrative assistant at a ship building and renovation company. There she met and married Jose Vicente Rabassa Casanova ("Tato"). In 1964, they welcomed a daughter, Maria. Sadly, she lost Tato in 1966, becoming a widow at the young age of 26.

In 1969, Mercedes immigrated to Los Angeles where she married Philip Hargrave Hamilton. Raising her daughter in Los Angeles, she worked tirelessly to provide Maria with a loving and stable home, and with every possible opportunity. When she first arrived in the United States, Mercedes worked in the garment factories of downtown Los Angeles, where newcomers to America found jobs in order to support their families as they sought to better their lives. Eventually, she joined Hughes Markets (later Ralphs) where she spent more than 30 years as a supermarket clerk. She always prioritized her daughter's needs above her own, choosing to forego paths which would have been better suited to her fierce intelligence, in order to provide financially for her family. As is true of so many immigrants, Mercedes made sacrifices to make sure that her family (especially her daughter) had a better life filled with opportunities. She was immensely proud of the accomplishments of her daughter and grandson which were so firmly rooted in her years of hard work and sacrifice.

Even though her life was often challenging, Mercedes was fun loving and outgoing. She was the life of the party. She was witty, a great story teller, and knew every Mexican "saying" that ever existed. Apparently, one exists for every possible situation. She had a flair for the "dramatic," which made life much more interesting. There was never a dull moment in the household, and she imparted that effervescent spirit to her daughter and grandson. She was thrilled when she became a grandmother, and lived to spend time with her grandson. She dropped everything at a moment's notice so as not to miss a single important event in Alejandro's life. She attended every birthday, school event, and sporting activity. She would drive anywhere at any time to be present in his life for all moments, big and small. Her biggest pleasure in life was being around Alejandro whenever she had the opportunity.

Mercedes personified grit, resilience, independence, intelligence, assertiveness, and "ganas." She had an unflinching determination, a tireless work ethic, and a limitless ability to look beyond challenges and surmount all obstacles (of which there were many) to move her family ahead. She embodied the spirit of the great Dolores Huerta's famous cry, "sí se puede!" Nothing could stand in the way once Mercedes embarked on a goal. She was a force of nature. Maria was blessed to have had a mother who possessed all of these rare and valuable traits, and who modeled those qualities for her daughter each and every day of her life.

Most importantly, Mercedes was the consummate loving mother and grandmother, who would do absolutely anything to support and protect her family. Her life was a triumph and her legacy will honor her.

She was dearly loved and will be forever remembered and missed. May her memory be a blessing.