Adela Aida Fimbres

Adela Aida Fimbres

May 27, 1939 – September 25, 2026

87 years young

Adela Aida Fimbres, our beloved mother, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2026. In her final days, she was surrounded by her children, brother, nieces and nephews. Her oldest daughter, Kim, and one of her best friends were holding her hands as she took her final breath.

Adela was our matriarch, our strength and the center of our world. She loved her family deeply, generously and without hesitation.

She was quiet and understated, but she noticed everything. She was thoughtful, observant and deeply aware of the people around her. She had a way of putting others’ needs before her own, often without anyone even knowing it.

She gave her time, care and love freely, even when she was stretched thin herself. She was a giver in every sense of the word. If she had it, she would give it—no matter how much or how little she had. She always found something to share.

Adela was a Godly woman. In her younger years, she wanted to be a nun, and she carried that same selfless spirit throughout her life. She gave people the benefit of the doubt, gave them chances to change and created a safe space for anyone who needed one. That was simply who she was.

Her Beginnings

Adela was born in East Los Angeles to Nellie and Carlos Cuellar. She grew up with humble beginnings as the oldest of four siblings: Margaret “Pudgy” Terrazas, Carlos “Leen” Cuellar and Norma Caldera.

Being the oldest taught her early the value of family—the importance of loving your parents and siblings without hesitation and taking care of the people you love.

She graduated from Garfield High School in 1957. After high school, she worked at Bank of America.

Her Greatest Roles: Wife, Mom, Nana, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Godmother “Nina”

Adela married our father, Fernando Eugene Fimbres. They were high school sweethearts, and she always insisted he was her only love and her only kiss.

They were married for nearly 60 years before our Dad went to heaven on March 29, 2018.

She was a devoted wife, and she and our Dad were in this life together. Through the ups and downs of nearly six decades of marriage, they stood by each other and always had each other’s backs.

She was the mother of five children: Kim, Fernando “Son,” Keely, Tiffany and Caprice. She showed up for each of them individually, through their happiest moments and their hardest days. She made her children feel rich in love.

She gave a lot of credit to her sons-in-law, Ernie Perez, Jose Gomez, Eric McIlvaine and Fernando Jackson, Keely’s partner, for loving her girls unconditionally and, as she knew well, putting up with them even when they could be hard to deal with.

Adela leaves behind six grandchildren: Gretchen, Autumn, Joseph, Olivia, Madison and Morgan; and four great-grandchildren: Emery, Knox, Bear and Sawyer “Birdie.” She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren and would light up every moment she spent with them.

But what she leaves behind is much bigger than a list of names.

She leaves behind a family steeped in values, traditions, memories, lessons, laughs and love. She leaves behind the feeling of being cared for, welcomed and believed in.

She made holidays magical with her decorations and her food—especially her homemade tamales, tortillas and famous pumpkin roll. For her, the magic was always about being together, sharing food and having big laughs.

Her love extended far beyond her immediate family. She opened her home and made room on the couch for her children’s friends, making sure they had a warm place to sleep and somewhere they felt they belonged. Her house was the place people wanted to come.

Her love was her greatest gift and it is a gift we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.