Salvador Guilin

Salvador (Sal) Guilin, 80, passed away on April 3, 2025. He was born in Calexico, California on November 22, 1944. Sal and his six sisters were born to Lydia and José. Sadly, his eldest sister, Yolanda, passed away when she was four months old. 

As Sal’s family were migrant workers and followed the crops, they began the school year in Turlock, California and ended it in Blythe, California. As a teenager, Sal worked in melon packing sheds during the summer alongside his father in Blythe and Turlock. His father instilled in his children the value of hard work and they all furthered their education, receiving college degrees. 

Salvador was a 1963 graduate of Palo Verde High School in Blythe after which he attended San Diego State University. After a few deferments, he enlisted in the army. He served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970, where he worked as a financial officer and as a courier. He attained the rank of Sergeant. After Vietnam, he completed his degree in Math at San Diego State University. 

After graduation he worked as a Coca Cola district manager for almost 10 years. After that, he ran his own business selling restaurant equipment and designing kitchens. In 1989, he started teaching Math part-time at College of the Desert. While there, he also started teaching Math full-time at Amistad Continuation High School, where he was awarded Teacher of the Year. He continued teaching at College of the Desert after retiring from Amistad in 2015, until his Multiple Myeloma diagnosis at the end of December 2020. 

He was known as a tough but fair teacher. Often, throughout the years, former students would approach him with gratitude and appreciation for his ability to help them finally grasp math concepts they had never understood. Some of the students later went on to be his students at the college, never hesitating to let him know that it was because of his encouragement that they continued their education. 

He was interested in gardening and carpentry. He built a playhouse/sandbox for Arisa and Joseph where they spent endless hours throughout the years. He also added a room to the first home in Indio, California and built much of the furniture. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and served as a Lector and Extraordinary Minister at his parish. 

He married his soulmate, Esther, on February 14, 1982, which was the beginning of 43 wonderful years in union with Jesus Christ. He is survived by his wife, Esther, and his two children: Joseph Guilin and Arisa Cuevas; son-in-law Daniel Cuevas; six grandchildren: Zef Guilin, Thérèse, Monique, Genevieve, Athena and Ezra Cuevas; five sisters: Rebecca Enayati, Leticia Guilin, Josefina Guilin, Isabel Guilin Haydon and Christina Guilin Alexander. 

Esther and his children carry countless sweet memories of Sal and were blessed by who he was as a man and dad shown by the many words of love he received: “Dad, you have been the best dad I could have had, thank you for all your love & kindness." “Dad, you have taught me the gift of service and that is super gnarly and something I can take with me forever, love you lots." 

Salvador’s services will be on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 47225 Washington St., La Quinta, California. Rosary at 10:15 A.M. Mass at 11:00 A.M. Interment will be on Friday, May 16 at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, California at 2:30 P.M.