Erlinda J Ojeda
Obituary

Erlinda J. Ojeda was born on May 18, 1944, in East Los Angeles, California, and arrived at the gates of heaven on April 6, 2026. She passed at her home in El Monte, California, surrounded by her four children and family at her bedside.

Linda attended Garfield High School and later went on to work at Southern California Edison for over 25 years until she retired in 2006. Ahead of her time, and determined to forge her own career, she was amongst the youngest women in her generation to enter the corporate workforce.

Family was everything for Linda (also known as Chita and Grandma Peach). The matriarch of her family, her grandchildren remember playing in her backyard, swimming in the pool late into the Summer nights, and opening presents by the fireplace on Christmas mornings. Her house was open to anyone at any time–no questions asked.

Linda had a love for interior decorating and gardening, always taking pride in her luscious plants, manicured palm trees, and the beauty of her home. When not cooking Mickey Mouse for her grandchildren, she enjoyed playing Ms. Pac-Man and solitaire card games, watching crime shows, listening to Kenny Rogers, and eating banana split sundaes. Linda enjoyed the finer things in life: she always had her hair done, her nails freshly painted a deep red, and wore Fendi perfume daily.

She was known for her incomparable wit and spirited personality, often speaking her mind with a heaping amount of humor. Even in her final months, Linda had quick comebacks, jokes at the tip of her tongue, and a smile that lit up every room. She put her heart into her home and garden, and her soul into her family and friends. She would want to be remembered as the Smiling Leopard Lady.

She is survived by her spouse, Moses Cantú Ojeda; her children, Denine Lopez, Robert Moret, Jeanette Estrada, and Salena Ojeda; her daughter- and sons-in-law; sixteen grandchildren; and twenty-three great-grandchildren, with two more expected this year.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Salvador and Christina Juarez; her brother, Daniel Juarez; and her sister, Mary Ellen Fuentes.

A memorial service will be held on May 16, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Calvary Chapel Cornerstone in Covina, California. A celebration of life luncheon will follow immediately after the service at Grandma Peach’s home.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.