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Ygnacio (Nash) Molina Esquer
September 1928 December 2011
Ygnacio Esquer

Ygnacio (Nash) Molina Esquer was born in Peoria, Arizona to Jose Angel and Amelia Esquer on September 11, 1928. He was the eldest son of four and helped move his family to California in 1942. They were farm laborers and lived in the Madera and Los Banos area for many years. At 21, he married, Josephine Raya and they lived in Los Banos where they had three children (Gil, Linda and Diane). During this time, Nash enlisted and was a proud member of the United States Army that served our country during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge he had a difficult time finding work in the area so the family split up and he moved to the San Jose area where he lived over 40 years and retired as a printing specialist from United Growers Cannery. While living in San Jose, Nash met his second wife, Amelia Ochoa Marichalar, and they celebrated 29 years of marriage before he lost her to a heart attack. In 1999, Nash moved to Turlock and lived here the remainder of his life.


Nash was a survivor that understood the importance of faith-based living and served many organizations as a volunteer. He was a member, officer and President of St. Justin's Guadalupano Society in Santa Clara for several years. He became an active member at Sacred Heart Church in Turlock and rarely missed his Sunday morning services. Nash was proud of his family and was very proud to tell anyone that would listen that his "baby girl" was a school principal in town. He was observed helping at various Turlock schools chaperoning school dances, carnivals, counting coins, etc. Nash also became a known entity and loved assisting at the Turlock Together event for over 10 years. He shared his love of the slot machines on the 15th of every month at Black Oak Casino with his adopted daughter, Edwina, and any other family or friends who chose to join them. Nash loved to sing and dance no matter where he was. He was always humming a tune and dancing a little jig.


Nash was a "what you see is what you get" kind of man. If you asked, he told you what he thought and he lived his life that way. His faith and love of our Lord allowed him to overcome the death of his parents, siblings, wife and many other friends and family members but his heart truly broke last month when he lost his son-in-law, Richard Lopes. Nash is survived by his brother Manuel Esquer (Esther), sister, Angie Zepeda, son, Gilbert Esquer (Rosa), and daughters Linda Murphy-Lopes, Diane Jimenez (Clemente) and Edwina Damas. Step children: Dan Raya (Maria Elena), Phil Delgadillo, Shirley Siler (Ron), Robert Marichalar (Sylvia), Armie Costello and Ana Marie McCallister. In addition, he had 27 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces. His character will be missed immensely by those that knew and loved him, especially his beloved companion and confidant Peanut (his dog)!


Special thanks to the Turlock Rural Fire Department, Dr. Lew Barker, the staff at Emanuel Hospital and Emanuel Hospice for their efforts and support to his medical needs. Nash was a simple and honest man that loved and honored learning. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you give to an organization that supports faith, learning and children.


Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 21 from 5-7 pm with a Recitation of the Rosary beginning at 7:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, December 22 at 9:30 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Turlock. Interment to follow at Turlock Memorial Park.

Turlock Journal
Saturday, December 17, 2011