Dorothy Morales Almanza

Dorothy Morales Almanza was born on July 25, 1955, to Eloisa Morales Caro and Luis Paz Almanza in Sacramento, CA, where she resided all her life.  She has 9 siblings, Louie Almanza, Rudy Almanza, Sylvia Foster, Randy Grant, Julian Grant, Lisa Grant, Eloisa Johnson, Maria Jimenez, and Mauricia Jimenez, 6 children, Deserie Narbaiz Lisondra, Alexandria Narbaiz, Angelina A. Narbaiz (Teodorico S. Ayson), Doreen Ainsleigh (Scott Ainsleigh), William Gevara, and Samuel Gevara, 16 grandchildren, Elizabeth, Cynthia, Brittney, Zalena, Dorathie, Jacob, Teo-Joseph, Jayden, Nathan, Isaac, Jaylah, Jolina, Jenaya, Maliah, Leanna, and Max and 6 great-grandchildren, Za’Niyah, Zaire, Gianna, Ava, Aaralynn and Ethan.  She has numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and is godmother to Sylvia Narbaiz-Byrd, Isaac Martel, Frank Applegate, and Julio Epps.

Dorothy loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Whether it was swimming at home or a special event, from school promotions to college graduations, birthdays, baby showers, and weddings, she was referred to as the “Kodak Queen” because she would always carry around disposable cameras to capture these precious moments.  The holidays were also very special for Dorothy because it meant enjoying more time with her family, cooking tamales, eating turkey, dyeing eggs, going trick or treating, building gingerbread houses, and putting up Christmas decorations.  When she was not with her family, she was on her phone, either playing solitaire, taking selfies, talking to her siblings, posting pictures on Facebook and responding to her family’s posts.

Dorothy was a devoted 49ers fan, wearing her 49ers t-shirt and hat whenever she watched a game to cheer them on.  She was also a member of the ladies’ auxiliary with her cousin Kathy Cushing at All Hollows Church.  She was proud of her Catholic faith and heritage, excited to learn about her ancestry and Yaqui roots.  In 2022, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.  She bravely underwent chemotherapy and surgery, and was thought to be in remission until July 2024, when it was discovered the cancer had returned, metastasizing to her bones.  Despite this, Dorothy did not allow her health issues to stop her from living her life and she continued to spend time with her family, attending her grandson Zaire’s soccer game, going to Apple Hill, and celebrating her 69^th birthday and Thanksgiving.

On November 28, 2024, Dorothy ultimately lost her battle from cancer and passed away at home, surrounded by her 6 children.  She is preceded in death by her mother Eloisa Morales Caro, father Luis Paz Almanza, brother Rudy Almanza, nieces Reina Almanza and Delilah Grant, nephew Anthony Applegate, and other cherished souls (Eliza Almanza, Patty Green).