Monica Elizabeth Mendoza

Monica Mendoza (nee Suttmiller), of Yucaipa, CA, passed away Sunday, August 27, 2017, at home surrounded by family. She was anointed, blessed and prayed over by Fr. Eric Esparza of Holy Name of Jesus. Fr. Esparza mentioned it was the Feast Day of St. Monica and we all were filled with joy and awe! We knew when she passed she was joining all our dearly departed on her namesake day!  Monica’s mother and best friend, Ann, tenderly reflected that “Heaven must be in need of a good cook!” We prayed the Rosary around Monica and shared stories in tears, laughter and loving memory with friends and family.
Monica was born in Batesville, Indiana April 24, 1955, to Dennis and Ann Suttmiller; she was an adventurous, talented and beautiful young lady. She loved twirling fire batons as a majorette and was the first to try it at her high school! Monica was brave.  She loved her horse, Duke, and broke him in herself. She competed in Jr. Miss and Community Unity Pageants and was among the top 5. She was beautiful inside and out. She took art classes by mail. She enjoyed sketching horses as well as natural scenes. She received an Art Scholarship before entering the service. She was talented. With that adventurous spirit and passion, Monica joined the Army and graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey as a Russian linguist. She met her future husband, John Mendoza, at the Defense Language Institute in 1973. She adventured up and down California with John on his motorcycle for camping trips and visits to see John’s family in Redlands. Monica loved the Mendoza family and spent quality time with John’s parents Albert and Josephine.  She learned to make handmade tortillas and tried her first burrito! She went on to marry John at St. Susanna’s Catholic Church in her home state of Ohio, in January 1975. She and John were assigned by the military to live in Augsburg, Germany that year. They loved being exposed to the European culture. They returned stateside to give birth to their daughter, Jennifer Lynn Mendoza, in Ohio and four and a half years later their son, Jason Michael Mendoza, in Redlands, California. They bought their first house on Lassen Street in Redlands. This was the perfect distance from Grandma Josie and Grandpa Albert on Sharon Rd. Shortly thereafter, Monica started taking classes at San Bernardino Valley College and began working with the county of San Bernardino. In between work and school, helping Jason with schoolwork and monitoring Jennifer’s phone time, their house was base camp for all things soccer and dog related. Monica was at the soccer fields every weekend sun up to sundown cheering, coaching or being commissioner for 8 years. On the hairier side of things, she raised & trained German Shepherds and Dachshunds, of which some unique pups became Seeing Eye Guide Dogs or Therapy Dogs.  After outgrowing their little Redlands home, they moved in 1993 to settle in Yucaipa for the last 25 years. She loved taking her family on cross country road trips to see relatives all over California and all the way to the east coast and Hawaii.
   Monica was a lifelong learner. She worked on her bachelor’s degree in between speech competitions, dog training, making delicious dinners, and work. Monica earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands in 2010. She also traveled to Sweden and Finland with her Study Abroad Program. She loved traveling and had visited 16 countries and 46 states. Her most recent trips to Australia and Philippines were her most cherished as they included travel and family. In 2013 Jason and Jill gifted Monica with her first grandchild; her grandson Kessler was born and had “Granma” wrapped around his finger. She traveled at any lengths to be with her precious grandson! She got to spend time with her in-laws the Guevara’s in Roxas City, Philippines for Kessler’s baptism! This July her granddaughter Adrasia was cradled in Granma’s arms shortly after being born. Granma couldn’t wait for her arrival. Monica’s grandkids revived and energized her!
   Monica was also a proud Toastmaster and competed and won many Toastmaster speech competitions. She met regularly and served in many positions as a Toastmaster (DTM) to support her local club. She was always motivated to compete at the highest contest level all the while enjoying it with great friends. She used that same motivation at her job, Monica worked for the County of San Bernardino for over 40 years, as a Programmer Analyst lll. She was always dedicated to her work and supportive to those she worked alongside. She met very kind and generous coworkers over the years with whom she built lasting friendships. She retired on August 18, 2017.
   Monica is survived by her husband of 43 years, John Mendoza of Yucaipa, California and their 2 children; Daughter, Jennifer Mendoza Wilhelm and her husband Jason of Anchorage, Alaska; Son, Jason Mendoza, his wife Jill and 2 grandchildren, Kessler and Adrasia Mendoza of Chandler, Arizona. Her parents, Dennis and Ann Suttmiller of West Chester, Ohio, brothers Dennis (Rita), Brian (Pam), Jon (Vicky), and sisters Marcia (Brent), Betty Jo (Bill), Annette, Susan, Sarah (Steven), as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends.
  Monica’s memorial service will be held at 2-3pm on Sunday, September 3, at Emmerson-Bartlett Memorial Chapel in Redlands at 703 Brookside Avenue 92373.
Monica will be laid to rest with full military honors at 11am on Wednesday, September 6, at Riverside National Cemetery at 22495 Van Buren Blvd in Riverside, CA 92518. Those in attendance will caravan with the procession to her ceremony site.
   In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the City of Hope Women’s Cancer Ward
(Duarte, California) by using the link http://tinyurl.com/monicamendoza
   Thank you for all your loving support!