Josephine "Josie" Rivera Gomez was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She passed away peacefully on July 1, 2024, at the age of 94, in her Santa Paula home, surrounded by loved ones.

She's preceded in death by her husband, Jose Isabel Gomez, her brother, Joe Alvarez, her sister-in-law, Consuelo Alvarez, her daughter Ermelinda Ybarra, and her granddaughter, Arlene Castillo. She is also preceded by Loli Contreras, Dora Lubinsky, and Jenny Aguilar. She is survived by her daughters Yolanda (Robert) Gomez, Sofia Castillo, Ofelia Knudson, and Carmen (Arthur) Gonzalez. She also leaves behind 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 25 great-great grandchildren and countless friends who turned into family.

Josie, as she was affectionately known to the people in her life, was a woman with boundless energy and a fierce devotion to her family. She had a passion for life, food, music, and love. She loved to dance, drink coffee, tell jokes, and eat sweet treats. Josie's life was non-traditional from birth, but she made the most of it. She built herself a familial empire of love, happiness, and food, despite the hardships that were repeatedly put in front of her throughout her life. Born on September 1, 1929 into humble beginnings, Josie had only 1 brother; though, over the course of 94 years, Josie multiplied that into an ever-growing family of 300+ people. She would often refer to this as her greatest accomplishment and the greatest gift she could give her family: each other.

At only 11 years old, financial hardships required Josie to leave the 6th grade and start working. Her quick-witted intelligence and natural ability to adapt to any situation helped take her from picking and packing fruit in the orchards to working as a surgery tech CMH hospital; but Josie never forgot where she came from. She continued to work hard, push boundaries, and break barriers. She would live the rest of her life in the same hard-working, tough-loving, strong-willed fashion, and would eventually become known for it.

Josie was a woman with a big heart and an even bigger personality. She was beautiful, brave, smart, and funny. She will be profoundly missed, but her humor and strength will continue to guide and inspire all who were blessed to know her.