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Luis John Ybarra passed away at the age of 58, on February 22, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was born in Los Angeles, California on February 16, 1961 to loving parents; Luis and Della Marie Ybarra. His parents dearly wanted a son, and after five daughters, their wish came true. He was truly the little King of the castle and was given enormous amounts of love from his mother. He had many nicknames, such as; Louie John, Johnny Boy, but was better known by his middle name; John. Often, the story was told when he was a small boy, possibly five years old, he had a child toolbox, and when he misplaced it, his mother directed all his sisters to begin the search for the “baby’s equipment,” needless to say that was the climate for the rest of his life. He was the baby of the family and was looked after by his sisters until his final days on earth. He was a high-spirited youth, enjoyed playing little league baseball, riding his bike, and maintained a high-grade point average without much effort. He enjoyed fishing with his Uncle Florence and often took weekend trips to Corpus Christi. In his teen years, he began playing the harmonica with his friends, which he became proficient at playing. John and his friend, Allen, spent hours practicing, which later it became enjoyable to hear them harmonize. He had many professions, but when he became an Auto CAD Technician, he found a profession that he enjoyed and had in common with his father. As a Technical Drafter, using Auto CAD software to generate technical plans and sketches for engineer’s designing aircrafts; he often asked his father for advice, which helped to create a bond between them. They would spend hours discussing John’s projects. He often travelled for work; he spent months in the Mojave Desert, and also in Chesapeake Bay. Regardless of the distance, he still managed to call home to speak with his father. John was a complex person, he had a tough exterior and a loud voice, and at times it was hard to figure him out, but he was a simple kind of man. So, when we hear the song “Simple Man,” we think back to the times his mother expressed her wishes that he would have a good life with a family. Songs allow us to revisit our past, for instance; his niece remembers sunny days in the backyard, watching John build large canvas’ for his sister, Linda, and the song, “Logical,” would be playing loud while he worked. John loved listening to the J. Geils Band, but when we hear Eddie Money’s song, “Baby Hold On,” we have a laugh remembering how his mother scratched his new album by playing that song over and over. That will always be their signature song. Songs take us to happier times, memories of warm sunny days, music playing, and youth. John will always be young in our hearts. When his mother became ill, and her final years of life, she no longer recognized him. He understood her illness, but it pained him to see his biggest defender and cheerleader unable to have a mother-son discussion anymore. He never corrected her, he sat, he listened, and played along. Unfortunately, the same would happen with his father. Time, life’s responsibilities, miscommunications, and family dynamics sometimes cause bonds in relationships to become weak, and we fail to express our true feelings of love and concern. Sometimes when a sibling leaves us, we realize that our family history, which links us to our parents, will be leaving us as well. As his family, we are hoping that he can sense our grief and sadness that he has left us, and that he knows what is truly in our hearts. We hope that he knows we fought to keep him a little longer, and we would gladly search for the baby’s equipment once again to keep him happy as the little King. Now, he is with our parents, their minds are fresh and they know who he is, and they are holding a cup of cool, clear water to celebrate their reunion. There are only faint memories of him saying “Gotta Boogie,” and with that, we must say our good-bye’s. He is preceded in death by his parents, Luis and Della Marie Ybarra; his sister, Linda Lou Ybarra. Survivors include his sisters; Rachel Dominguez, Rose DeHoyos, Della Marie Ybarra, Julie Ann Ybarra, numerous nieces, nephews and other loving family members and friends. Visitation for Mr. Ybarra will be on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South, from 5-9pm. Funeral mass will be on Friday, March 15, 2019 at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, beginning at 11am.

Tributes

Luis John Ybarra

February 16, 1961 - February 22, 2019