Timothy Ornelas Flores

Biography

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Timothy Flores Funeral Service

Timothy Ornelas Flores entered this world on December 10, 1956 when born to his parents Sally and Louie Flores in the city of Madera, California. From the get-go, Tim was an active baby, and had an unquenchable curiosity of the world about him. His older brother Artie was 4 ½ years his senior and was an excellent role model for little Timmy. As they grew, it was soon apparent that these two brothers, as is often the case, were quite different in both personality and habits. While Artie would be in his bedroom arranging everything just so, Timmy would rather be outside playing, having a grand time seeing how easily he could outwit his playmates or entertain his relatives. Actually, it all came down to one simple yet far-reaching element - self-discipline. Artie had that inner self-discipline which came in very handy throughout his life, while Tim's fun-loving side kicked in and he had a good time attending St. Joachim Elementary School and Middle School, proudly graduated from St. Joachim at the close of 8th grade, followed by attending Madera High School. He had also been an altar boy at St. Joachim Church during his 7th and 8th grades. Later on, even when it came to work, Tim had always wanted his work to be fun-so he made it fun. His working years included employment at Fresno's San Francisco Floral, then as a truck driver for Ceja Trucking Company, and finally, as a roofer.

He married Dee Aguilar in 1986, fathering three children: Joshua, Sally, and Jessica Flores. As a result of this marriage, Jenny Lee, Dee Dee, and Krissy instantly became their step-sisters and a blended family began.

Later when he married his second wife Meredith McIntosh, life again took on new twists and turns. When Tim's diabetes worsened, end-organ damage required first one leg amputation, later followed by another. That brought his work to an abrupt halt, and he became a stay-at-home dad. All along, Tim's mom Sally Thomas was there to help with the children, making sure they could stay in parochial school. Education is considered very important to Grandma Sally who knows the way to get ahead is to stay in school. Eventually, Tim and children Joshua, Sally, and Jessica all moved to their present home in Fresno, northeast of Fresno State campus. Daughter Jessica came up through Atla Sierra Middle School, and is now in her junior year at Buchanan High School. Jessica's goal was to always graduate high school to make her father proud with the best possible grades-and future. About 1 ½ years after Tim's son Joshua married Melissa Rodrigues, Tim's one and only grandchild was born: Joshua Matthew Flores. The first week of this past June, Tim's then eight-month-old grandson Matthew was a beautifully-behaved infant at his baby dedication service at church. In Grandpa Tim's absence, Tim's son Josh had very mixed emotions because it was so meaningful with the immediate family in attendance, as photos were shown on the large screen behind the altar - photos of Tim and his offspring during recent happier months before Tim had to go on life support at Community Medical Center Fresno's critical care unit. Tim's son spoke at the babies dedication service, sharing how deeply loved was their father. Large numbers of individuals and whole church congregations had been praying for Tim because of his critical condition. When prayers go up, blessings come down! The day Tim was weaned off the life support respirator was one such blessing - a miracle indeed, because just days previously, when abruptly taken off the life support, he didn't even last a minute. Tim's family appreciated the care Tim received from physicians and ancillary staff at Community Medical Center Fresno. You learn a lot about life when someone you dearly love goes on life support. When you see your loved one struggle-both physically and emotionally, you see a shift in their priorities. Before, in easier times, their GPS may have been focused on just having a good time, now GPS stands for God's Protective System. GPS indeed; Life has responsibilities and when taken care of on time and properly, life turns out better. Tim's life was not one smooth sailing voyage, but rather a series of ups and downs, mountaintop highs and extreme valley lows. He had his share of troubles; he had his share of wake-up calls to get him back on track. It has been observed that if someone has had no failures, he has not attempted much in life. Tim lived on the edge, pushing the limits as far as he could at all times. So that meant he had his share of bruises throughout his life. Humor helped to get him through some rough times. One time on a hospital bed, long after his leg amputations, he had to re-enter the hospital for another purpose. His mother was there as they answered the admissions questions. The admissions nurse, after asking his weight and without lifting her eyes from her form, absent-mindedly asked, "And how tall are you?" Tim's mom Sally piped up, HE USED TO BE about 6-3!" ... the nurse wasn't laughing but it seemed that Tim and his mom could see the humor in it.

Tim Flores had five children when he drew his last breath on Tuesday, January 19, 2010: Joshua, Sally, and Jessica, along with his Madera step-daughters Dee Dee and Krissy. His faithful loving mother Sally Thomas of Madera was by his side all along the way. He also is survived by his father Louie Flores, his grandson Matthew and step-grandson Xavier and many relatives who loved him, and his brother Artie who preceded him in death. Every year on the Memorial Day weekend, this large family of some 100+ relatives including all the young cherubs, gather for an annual family reunion in Madera. This past year it was a time of gratitude when both Tim's Uncle Kookie and Tim himself could be in attendance in spite of their physical challenges. It was thrilling to see the family welcome them with open arms and open hearts. This family that works hard, plays hard, and loves hard-but the greatest of these is LOVE.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 2 to 7 PM in Jay Chapel in Madera. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 11 AM at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Madera. Interment to follow at: Calvary Cemetery, Madera, Ca.