Guadalupe Flores, 81, Beloved Mother and Educator

She was born on January 26, 1930, in Lorain, Ohio, to Justo & Luisa Delgado.

Guadalupe attended Lorain High School, where she was nominated for the National Honor Society during her senior year. She left high school in 1948, to marry Pedro "Pete" Flores, whom she met at the South Lorain Neighborhood House Youth Center.

Guadalupe was quite active in the Mexican-American community. As a teenager she danced in the folkloric dance troupe of the Mexican American Citizens Club. As an adult she was a member of the Mexican American Citizens, later becoming a member of the Mexican Mutual Society.

Guadalupe was very active and influential in all of her children's educational endeavors. She was a member of the Lincoln Elementary and Whittier Jr. High School PTAs. She was a member of the Whittier Band Boosters, and one of the founding members of the Southview Band Boosters.

Once her youngest child began attending pre-school, Guadalupe raised the bar high for her children. She returned to school to receive her GED certificate and was hired as a teacher's aide at Lorain Head Start. She continued her education while working at Lorain Head Start earning an Associate's Degree at Lorain County Community College in Early Childhood Education. Guadalupe was employed immediately as a teacher for the Lorain Head Start Program.

For a brief period she re-located her family to Celina, Ohio, serving as Director of the Migrant Children's' Day Care Center. In 1978, she returned to teach at the Neighborhood House Pre-school program, eventually becoming Director of the program. She retired in 1984, having served 14 years in the educational field.

Guadalupe's caring hand, selfless attitude, and virtue of service, clearly demonstrated her faith to her family, her religion, and those around her. She was a member of the original group that founded the Sacred Heart Chapel and eventually became a member of the Guadalupe Society.

Guadalupe enjoyed music, dancing, and encouraged all her children to dance in the Mexican folkloric dance troupes and to play musical instruments, assisting them with their lessons. She had learned to play the violin, but due to a bout of tuberculosis during her teen years was unable to play the wind instruments.

Guadalupe loved to cook and bake from scratch and passed her cooking skills on to some of her children. Her love of roses prompted her husband Pete to plant many rose bushes for her around the house.

She will be deeply missed by her sons; Pedro Jr. (Sharon), Jorge (Gloria), David, Carlos (Lupe), Jaime, Martin (Beth), and Jose, and daughters; Esperanza Rosalez (Fermin), Antonia Humphrey (Robert), Maria Luisa, and Ramona Griffin-Flores (Patrick). Guadalupe had the benefit of loving 36 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and great-nephews and great-nieces.

She was the last surviving child of her deceased parents Justo & Luisa Delgado. Also preceding her in death were her brothers; Peter, Paul and Antonio Delgado, and sisters; Helen Garcia, Juanita Amador, Dolores Reyes; a daughter, Consuelo, and a son, Carlos. Guadalupe lost her loving husband of 63 years, Pedro "Pete" Flores in February of this year.

Friends and relatives will be received at the Richard J. Reidy Funeral Home, 1783 East 31st Street, South Lorain (440)277-8164 on Thursday, April 28, 2011; from 4:00pm until 8:00 pm.

Closing prayers will be Friday at 8:45 a.m. at the funeral home, with the funeral mass starting at 9:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Chapel 4301 Pearl Avenue, and burial will be in Calvary Cemetery; both in Lorain, Ohio.