Reynaldo Daniel Mejia

Reynaldo Daniel Mejia was born in Corona, CA, February 26, 1936, to immigrant parents, Matias and Rafaela Mejia. He was the youngest of five siblings: Zeke, Larry, Reuben, and Gloria. As a young man, he enlisted in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant. During that time, he fell in love with his bride to be, Mary Louise, whom he married in 1958. They went on to have four children: Carlos, Jesse, Laura, and Reyna. Reynaldo truly valued education and believed that with knowledge, comes power and freedom. He proudly earned his Doctorate degree, focusing on Bilingual Education, from the University of Southern California. Go Trojans! Not only was education important, but he was a strong advocate of Civil Rights and justice for the underrepresented. He fought against racial injustice and participated in marches and rallies; always fighting for the underdog. He was a teacher, a professor, and up until his retirement, an elementary school principal. Rey was a firm believer in giving back to those less fortunate, always reminding us to be "charitable and kind". It was no surprise that during his retirement he began his second career as a volunteer. He started with reading to children and working with teachers, locally. Then he found himself living, part-time, on the Navajo Indian Reservation, or as he referred to it, ‘The Rez", where he continued to share his knowledge and instill, within the Navajo students, the love of learning. Although he had great affection for "The Rez", he valued nothing more than spending time with his grandchildren and family. Rey supported a number of charities; his favorite being Casa Juan Diego, located in Houston, Texas, which works to assist struggling immigrants and the underserved. If you would like to support Casa Juan Diego please visit the following website: https://cjd.org/ Service Thomas Miller Mortuary 1118 East Sixth Street Corona, CA 92879 (951) 737-3244 | Wednesday 3/3, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Cemetery Crestlawn Memorial Park 11500 Arlington Ave. Riverside, California 92505 (951) 689-1441 | Wednesday 3/3, 2:00 pm