Jacqueline Ruth Gomez

Jacqueline “Jackie” Ruth Walter Gomez passed away in Tulsa, Okla., on March 15, 2014, from the horrific disease dementia. Mom was 42 days shy of her 88th birthday.

Mom was born April 27, 1926, the second of four children in St. Louis, to parents Erich A. Walter and Helen L. Walter. Mom’s early years were spent in St. Louis, where she lived in two orphanages with two of her siblings for short periods of time. These very sad events had a major impact on Mom’s life and helped to make her the strong-willed and extraordinarily protective, loving and caring mother and person that she was.

Mom’s family moved to Oakland, Calif., in 1936 and then onto Napa in 1939. She attended various elementary schools in Oakland and Napa, graduating from Napa High School in 1945, where she was on the archery and softball teams. While in Oakland, as a young girl, Mom sold newspapers on a street corner to earn a little money. This was more of the foundation that made Mom the focused woman that she was.

After high school, Mom worked at several locations for the next several years of her life: Montgomery Wards, Uptown Theater, Hedgside Distillery and Orsoe Feed & Milling. Mom received her certificate as a psychiatric technician from the state of California Department of Mental Hygiene in 1953 and worked at Napa State Hospital. Again, Mom would recall a number of harrowing experiences at Napa State that helped shape her life.

In 1945, Mom married Manuel Gomez of the Capell Valley Gomez family and gave birth to three children between 1948 and 1963. Mom continued to help support her family through the years, working for Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles in the late ’50s, Cassel “Electro Flasher” in Napa, and later as property manager for Silverado Oaks at Silverado Country Club, where she retired in 2001 at the age of 75.

Throughout Mom’s life she proved to excel at anything she attempted. Mom enjoyed deer hunting. She learned to hunt on the Gomez ranch and was an excellent shot, killing many more deer than her son ever did. Mom enjoyed golf and was Women’s Club Champion at Chimney Rock Golf Course. She also scored an “Ace” at Silverado Country Club's North Course, hole No. 7 (a feat her son is still waiting to achieve).

Mom was a painter, a stained-glass artist, and could fix just about anything that she tried. Mom loved country music dancing, bingo at the Native Sons, garage sale-ing and going to Community Worship Church, under Pastor Jim Counihan.

Mom was an excellent cook as well, and always made sure that, no matter what, her children had a roof over their heads, clean clothes on their backs and food on the table — things, at times in her own life, she did not have.

Jacqueline Ruth Gomez is survived by her two daughters, Sue Bender (Doug) and Tami Gomez; her son, Larry Gomez (Vickie); grandchildren, Mike Beck, Matt Beck, Christopher Gomez, Jordan Gomez, John Cortese (Rikki), Jeremy Cortese and Jacey Kelley; and numerous great-grandchildren.

Mom was the last surviving member of her generation in the Walter family (four children and their spouses), along with the Gomez family (10 children and their spouses).

We love you, Mom.