Sigrid Poyorena

Sigrid Elina Poyorena was born in Los Angeles, California, at White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights. She was born February 16, 1928 and died in Cornville, Arizona, on December 3, 2020.

Sigrid grew up in an East Los Angeles neighborhood where she learned to speak Spanish. She attended Theodore Roosevelt High School and played on the girls' high school basketball team. After high school she attended and graduated from Bible college.

She met her future husband Richard at Westmoreland Chapel in Los Angeles. As a matter of fact, she was introduced to him several times! After she accepted a position to teach English to Spanish speaking children in Nogales, Arizona, they began a year-long long-distance relationship via letter writing that led to Richard buzzing the compound and then serenading her outside her window.

They were married June 9, 1956, at Chevy Chase Baptist Church in Glendale, California, with plans to go to Brazil as missionaries. But God had other plans for them. They began having children and soon had three daughters in less than four years, followed by another daughter and then a son. Sigrid was kept busy with her children but was active with Child Evangelism holding weekly Good News Club meetings in her home for the neighborhood children. She and Richard were committed Christians who loved the Lord and attended church regularly until failing health prevented them.

When her children got to be school age, she entered the work force as an executive assistant to a vice-president at Occidental Life Insurance (Transamerica) in downtown Los Angeles, where she worked for twenty-five years. Upon her retirement, her boss presented her with a letter praising her work, which she cherished.

At age 91, she moved to Arizona in a "long and low car," as she called it.

She was predeceased by her parents George and Magnhild Petricich, her older brother Peter Peters, and an infant brother and sister, and her husband of 54 years Richard Poyorena, as well as her daughter Lorraine Poyorena, and grandson Brian Doyel. She is survived by her son Jim Poyorena (Charai,) daughters Sheryl Costa (Jim,) Judy Sconce, and Lois Warren (Arnie,) and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Dad must be glad to see his "Siggy Pooh" in heaven.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Sunny Crest Home where she resided for many years and Page Springs Living for the loving care that she received in the last twenty-one months of her life. Thank you to Maggie's Hospice for the support and care she received in her final days.