Natividad Chavez

Natividad Chavez, a beloved matriarch and cherished friend, was called to rest on September 22, 2026, at the age of 88. Born on September 8, 1938, in San Bernardino, California, Natividad was the daughter of Frank Vindiola and Antonia Escalantes. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Petra, Edwarda, Gloria, Ester, and Teresa, and her husbands Mauro Sanchez and Peter Chavez. Natividad was a loving mother to her five children: Mario Sanchez, Debra Paterson, Donna Gephart, Michael Sanchez, and DurRay Sanchez-Torres. Her family was her pride and joy, and she leaves behind a legacy of love that extends to her 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Natividad married Mauro Sanchez, with whom she shared a deep and abiding love, raising their five children in a warm and nurturing home. Later in life, she found love again with Peter Chavez, with whom she shared precious years. Her professional life was as varied as it was fulfilling. As a homemaker, she created a home that was open and inviting, reflecting her innate ability to make everyone feel welcome. She also worked as a teacher’s assistant, where her natural warmth and compassion resonated with students, and as a product demonstrator, where her outgoing personality shone brightly. Natividad found joy in dancing, watching cowboy movies, and nurturing her garden. Her laughter and spirit were infectious, and she shared her zest for life with everyone she met. She cherished her family, and her home was always a place of gathering, filled with laughter, love, and the aroma of her wonderful cooking. A service to honor and celebrate Natividad's life will be held on October 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Assumption, 796 W 48th St, San Bernardino, CA 92407. Family and friends are invited to share in the memories and celebrate the life of this remarkable woman. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, in memory of Natividad Chavez, to continue her legacy of love and care for others. Though she is no longer with us, the spirit of Natividad Chavez lives on in the lives she touched and the family she nurtured. Her love was a guiding light, and her memory will forever be a blessing to all who knew her.