Ampelio Reynoso passed away at home, surrounded by family, on September 19, 2026.

He was born and raised in Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of nineteen, he left home and moved to California. In his early twenties, he married the first of his great loves, Maria Guadalupe “Lupita” Jiminez Jauregui. With Lupita, he had four children: twin siblings Hector Ruben and Guadalupe Judith (deceased), Alberto, and Noel Alejandro. Early in their marriage, in 1976, they celebrated a life milestone by becoming homeowners and purchasing a house on Boulder Street in Fillmore, CA. Tragically, their marriage was cut short by Lupita’s untimely death in 1980. Two years later, he met and married his second great love, Marcelina “Chela” Diaz Martinez. Ampelio and Chela’s marriage was the happy consequence of the matchmaking efforts of his father and stepmother (and—as they would often claim—also the result of divine intervention, involving an unplanned visit to Jalos, a missed bus, and a soda shop). Together, they had two daughters, Daniella and Jacqueline. They remained married for almost forty-five years, until his passing. Throughout their marriage, they celebrated not only their own personal milestones, but also those of their five beloved children and their many grandchildren.

Ampelio wore many hats, but the ones he took the most pride in were those of being a husband, father, and grandfather, great-grandfather. To say he was a family man is an understatement. If you ended up in a conversation with him that lasted more than five minutes, you were certain to hear about his family’s accomplishments. He experienced deep fulfillment in sharing in his family’s successes, and he constantly sought out ways to make the lives of his loved ones better. A big believer in the importance of higher education and a commitment to lifelong learning, he worked hard to ensure all his children had the opportunity to attend college. Ampelio would eventually explain that seeing every one of his children attain degrees was one of his proudest accomplishments. It is not an exaggeration to say that everything he did, he did for the betterment of his family, whom he considered his pride and joy. Put simply, he was an extraordinary human and an amazing pillar of the family.

A guiding force in his life was his Catholic faith. Growing up, he attended Catholic school before moving onto seminary studies in his pursuit of becoming a priest. Ultimately, he discerned that his vocation was not in the priesthood and left the seminary but remained devout in his faith throughout his life. He held particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Over the years, he took on various volunteer roles at his local parish, Saint Francis of Assisi church in Fillmore. These included serving as a lector and teaching pre-Baptismal classes. He strove to instill the principles and values of his faith in his family.

Ampelio was never one to be idle. Neighbors and community members always commented on the fact that he was always on the move. You could typically find him doing projects around the house (or the houses of his kids), running errands, riding his bike, walking around Fillmore, playing with his grandkids, and countless other activities. Everything he did, he did well, and that was a value that he instilled in his family. He taught his children to take pride and to give their all to the task at hand, no matter what that task was. This is how he approached everything in life, from helping with his children’s schoolwork, to tackling larger house projects, to preparing lesson plans for his volunteer activities. Even until his final days, he remained active. If ever he was seen sitting in place, it was usually with a book in hand. Reading was one his lifelong hobbies. His other interests included gardening, futbol soccer (go Chivas!), cycling, and walks.

Ampelio was a man of integrity, and he will be profoundly missed. In addition to his wife, (Chela) and five children (Hector, Beto, Alex, Dani, and Jackie), he is survived by five siblings (Amelia, Maria Elena, Efrain, Beatriz, and Blanca Reynoso), four daughters and sons-in-law (Nicolette Reynoso, Sabine Reynoso, Mark Myles, and Benjamin Graves), nine grandchildren (Leslie, Angel, Liliana, Shakira, Nicolas, Nathaniel, and Zakariah Reynoso as well as Sophia and Olivia Graves), and two great-grandchildren (Jacob Ramirez and Everly Herrera). He was preceded in death by his mother and father (Maria Padilla and Daniel Reynoso), four siblings (Ramiro, Efrain, Ruben, and Raquel Reynoso), first wife (Lupita Reynoso), and eldest daughter (Lupita Judith Reynoso).

Although he is gone, his presence will always be felt.