Josephine Manriquez Villegas was born on March 25, 1920 in Carpinteria. She entered eternal rest on Aug. 30, 2024 at her residence, surrounded by her loving family.

Her parents were Jovita Perez Manriquez and Margarito Amado Manriquez. Josephine was their third child, born after sisters Catherine and Delfina and before her brother Daniel.

She attended the then-segregated Aliso School, designated as an “Indian” school, where Carpinteria’s Mexican American children were all sent, regardless of where in the area they lived.

Due to the efforts of parents and legal advocates, the campus was later desegregated but not during Josephine’s time there.

The story of the school was documented in a 2022 film featuring Josephine, her son Tony, and others. The film was shown locally and during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The historic episode is also memorialized in a mural at the current Aliso Elementary School.   

As a child, Josephine joined her grandfather picking walnuts. Her first paying job was at the Carpinteria Lemon Packing House. She packed and sorted lemons for 37 years. She then worked as a supervisor at Josten’s (manufacturer of class rings) for more than 25 years until she retired.

Josephine was a woman of many skills and talents. In fact her primary talent has been to embrace learning new skills and teach them to others. Most importantly, she was fearless in her efforts and desire to acquire new skills.

Josephine was never intimidated or put off by her father Margarito’s cantankerous teaching style. She was one of the few of his children that her father taught to drive.

She had a commendable ability as a seamstress, to produce quality clothing that would have been too expensive for the family to buy in local stores. She was also known and appreciated as an expert hair stylist for her family and friends.

Josephine patiently trained the family dog “Bubbles” to stay and speak, as well as training the family’s parakeet to speak a few words.

Josephine was an excellent cook. Although she could cook any dish, her specialities were turkey stuffing, cranberry JELL-O, and carrot cake with delicious cream-cheese frosting.

Josephine was a music lover who loved to sing and dance. She had a beautiful singing voice, and she and her cousin Carmen Perkins often performed together at family gatherings. Her favorite musicians were Pedro Infante, Lola Beltran and many of the popular singers of the day.

She was also tolerant of the era’s music stars her children (Tony and her daughters Margaret and Sylvia) liked, such as the Everly Brothers. She had a large collection of classic 78 rpm records that she enjoyed playing.

She was an avid Dodger baseball fan and enjoyed playing baseball in her younger days as a student at Aliso Elementary School.

Josephine’s caregivers are at her side: son Tony Villegas; granddaughter Rachael Villegas; grandson Richard Villegas; and Tony’s wife Aleyda Villegas.

She is survived by her son Tony and his wife Aleyda; her grandchildren Michael, Rachael, Richard, David, Robert, Fred Jr., Fred III, Jessica, Anthony, Raymond Jr., Renee and  Anna Maria; 17 great grandchildren; and 19 great, great grandchildren.

Josephine was preceded in death by her daughters Margaret and Sylvia, and granddaughter Linda.

Services will include a Rosary at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at St Joseph Chapel on 7th Street, and the funeral mass at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 at St Joseph Church on Linden Avenue.

Interment will follow the funeral Mass at Carpinteria Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to Pueblo del Rey Funeral Services.