Salvador Savala Fuentes

He was born on May 5, 1937 to Carlos Savala Fuentes and Josephine Garcia Fuentes in Lawrence, Kansas. While still a child, Sal’s father passed away leaving his mother with four young boys. After a remarriage, the family moved to Madera where farm work was plentiful.

From a young age Sal valued his family and God through his Catholic faith, serving in the church as an altar boy. His discipline did not stop there, he knew the importance of self-sufficiency and being productive. In his youth he was enterprising enough to set up his own shoe shine business as a means of helping his family. Sal’s spirit of service continued after he graduated High School and joined the Army; if his mother had not insisted on him graduating, he likely would have joined earlier. He was enlisted and served from 1955 to 1958 with time spent in Hawaii, Japan, and South Korea. While in Korea, Sal was stationed near a demilitarized zone, which meant a cease fire, but not an end to the war. He was witness to human suffering amongst the locals who were starving, and Sal made a point of saving his rations to hand out to those most in need. That spirit of gratitude for the blessing of having food never left him–he was not wasteful with food, only taking what he needed and could finish.

Sal came from a family of patriots, almost all of his siblings served in various branches. After coming back from South Korea Sal met his wife Mary (now deceased) and they started a family.

Sal had four wonderful children named Debra, Desiree, Jeffrey, and Delia. These children brought him 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

For thirty years Sal worked for PPG (Pacific Plate Glass). Shortly before retiring, Sal met Maxine and asked her to join him for a dance. They spent the evening dancing and dated for about a year and a half before they were married in Reno. During their 25 year marriage Sal and Maxine enjoyed weekend trips camping, entertaining family, and cultivating the landscape of their spacious yard amongst many other things. Sal was an avid walker in his senior years, and typically walked over twelve thousand steps a day. During the last year of Sal’s life, Maxine’s son Richard moved back to Clovis, and was a blessing to both of them in helping with the care of the home.

Sal is survived by his wife Maxine Fuentes, his sister Rosemary and husband Mike Metz, brother Rudy Delarosa and his wife Sylvia, brother Fred Delarosa and his wife Rosalinda, brother Louie Fuentes, his children Debra Fuentes-Rodriguez, Desiree Hoffman, Jeffrey (JJ) Fuentes, and Delia Fuentes along with thirteen grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, many friends, and loyal dog Tarzan. He was preceded in death by his father, his beloved mother, his brother Charlie Fuentes, and brother Joe Fuentes.

Sal was an example of humility and unconditional love that is rare to find in our world today and he will be greatly missed.