Final Salute

Enrique Lechuga Rangel
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, soon-to-be great-grandfather, godfather, and compadre “El Compa”, Enrique L. Rangel, long-time resident of Pomona, CA was called home to the Lord on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 to join the rest of his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jose Guadalupe Posada and Maria de Jesus Lechuga; wife Flora; daughter Mary; and siblings, Elias, Luz and Salvador.

Enrique was born June 7, 1924 in Pittsburg, Oklahoma. The Rangel family lived between the United States and Mexico. The family traveled between Pittsburg, Oklahoma to Viudas del Oriente, Aguascalientes, and to Hacienda/Rancho San Ildefonso, Zaragosa, Coahuila, Mexico. With the constant back and forth between Pittsburg and Mexico, he was lucky to have completed four or five years of education. The remainder of his education was in the school of “hard knocks”.

During the Great Depression, he lived on the ranch San Ildefonso in Zaragosa where his maternal grandfather Fernando Lechuga was the “majordomo”. If he didn’t work, Dad wouldn’t eat. As a kid, he sold candy to passengers at the local train station; shined shoes, and built lead acid batteries for the local mechanic. Later, he would work in the West Texas mercury mines as part of the war effort and was a member of the Texas National Guard. He soon returned to Mexico and then back to Pittsburg and joined his cousin Dan Rangel mining coal. After suffering through a mine collapse, he came to Pomona and turned in his draft card. Dad worked in the orange and lemon orchards in Claremont until he was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1944.

He served in the U.S. Navy as a member of the Construction Battalion, commonly known as the Seabees. During this time, Dad was stationed in the South Pacific Theater of war. He was awarded the Philippine Liberation Victory Medal. His group followed General MacArthur and the Marines into Manila, Subic Bay, Leyte Bay, and Corregidor, Philippines. His Seabees built the infrastructure that was needed; i.e., hospital, roads, etc. Dad was very proud of his military service and proud to be a veteran of the United States Navy. His family is so proud of his being a member of the Greatest Generation.

Dad was an accomplished and proud tradesperson. He knew construction, plumbing, carpentry, cement, tv, and radio repair. At the end of his working career, he was a sheet metal mechanic, now referred to as a fabricator. He was an artist. He had a distinct style of drawing. But his most gorgeous artwork was his hand-carved wooden horses. There are only 7 in existence, but they are prized for their uniqueness and beauty.

Enrique married the love of his life Flora Reyes in Nueva Rosita, Mexico on September 19, 1954, and brought her to Pomona to start their new life as newlyweds. There they raised their 3 children. He was actively involved with Sacred Heart Church as an usher, Eucharistic Minister, and the Knight of Columbus. He was the past Grand Knight of the Sacred Heart Council Knight of Columbus.

Enrique is survived by his children: daughter Carmen (Max Lizarraga) and son Enrique (Yolanda Orozco); his beloved grandchildren: Ma. del Carmen, Raquel (Harrison Christensen) and Max III and future great-grandson Christensen; Alessandra, Enrique III and Germ�n; his beloved numerous nieces, nephews, godchildren, and cousins in the United States and Mexico.

Visitation will be held Thursday, February 27th, 5:00 – 8:00pm with the Holy Rosary at 6:30pm, at Todd’s Memorial Chapel at 570 No. Garey Ave., Pomona. Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church, 1215 So. Hamilton Blvd., Pomona, on Friday, February 28th at 10:00am followed by graveside services at Holy Cross Cemetery, 444 E. Lexington Ave., Pomona.