Ortega Women of Southern California

 Family Reunion Interviews

Hello and thank you for finding your way to this portion of our family website.  One of our goals was to make meaningful contact with various family members at the reunion.  We selected random interviews with willing participants as our vehicle to bring you up-close and personal with your family.  

Dominic Solis is related  to the Ortega Tribe by way of our matriarch, Felicitas Barbalina Cardoza Ortega (1914 -1991).  Dominic is the second oldest of 6 siblings; 3 boys and 3 girls.  Dominic's mother, Francesca May Ortega, is the second daughter of Felicitas & Frank Ortega.  Dominic's father is Raymond Solis, Sr.  Dominic was born in Van Nuys, California, and attended Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California (1979).  Dominic went on to complete his AA degree in 1981.

With a lively and bubbly life-spark, Dominic found himself in the real estate field for the last 4 years and in the hair care profession for 25 years.  Dominic has enjoyed the pace and fullness of both career choices.  His hobbies include restoring a 1967 Mustang and the art of conversation & communication.  Lawry's prime rib and dark green are Dominic's favorite dish and color respectively.  Dominic's last vacation getaway was spent in Palm Springs, California.

When asked what Dominic's favorite childhood memory was he replied, "...a family camping trip to El Capitan Beach when we were little."  The 2010 Family Reunion was the first time Dominic participated and was quite impressed with the event.  Dominic traveled 45 miles to attend the reunion and is looking forward to future reunions.

The interview questions got harder and Dominic did not waver...

Dominic is most proud of his older brother Raymond "Skip" Solis, Jr.  When asked why, Dominic expressed how he witnessed the impact and evolution of his brother's depth & breadth as a survivor of a near fatal bicycle accident.  Skip is Dominic's personal hero because the recovery challenges and obstacles were not just phyiscal, they were also life-altering.  Being a part of Skip's journey left an indelible mark on Dominic: he watched in awe as his brother punched through the fog of limitations and into the light of awareness, emotional maturity, acceptance, and redefinition by adopting a new outlook and vision filled with a zesty philosophy for the meaning of life.

According to Dominic one of the secrets to a happy life is to simplify.  Finding the courage to focus on what truly matters comes with a healthy by-product: the willingness to set aside distractions like competition, judgements, and bickering---which ultimately reduces stressors and leads to a sense of confident peace. 

I asked Dominic if he could do one thing different in his life what would it be?  He responded, "Nothing.  My life has unfolded the exact way it was designed to and I am happpy."

What Dominic would like people to know is that he is a generous man, as well as a good listener.   

Thank you Dominic for sharing your memories and insight with

Cruz Garcia is related to the Ortega Tribe by way of our matriarch, Felicitas Barbalina Cardoza Ortega (1914 -1991).  Cruz’ parents are Cruz Sr. and Pasqualla (“Tia Pat”) who was the sister of Felicitas.  Cruz was born in Los Angeles, California, attended San Fernando High, and has two sisters. 

Cruz and his lovely bride of 48 years, Rosie, have five children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.  When asked, "Who are you most proud of and why?" Cruz responded, "My wife, for putting up with me," and stressed communication as one of the key elements to life-long happiness.  Their last vacation took them to the magnificent Grand Canyon.

Cruz has been retired for the past five years after spending 15 years with the Ventura School District and 19 years in manufacturing.  Cruz enjoys restoring cars and recently completed a '56 Chevy project; he also likes touring on his Harely-Davidson motorcycle.  Cruz' favorite food is Mexican and his favorite color is black.

One of Cruz' favorite childhood memories were the 4th of July camping trips to Santa Monica Beach (near the pier) with the whole family. Another fond memory was Easter Celebrations at Reseda Park.  Asked if he had ever attended an Ortega Family Reunion before, Cruz responded with "No" and expressed an interest in planning/participating in future events.  Cruz and Rosie traveled about 12 miles to get to October 16th Ortega Family Reunion held at Northridge Park, Northridge, California---and we are all very happy they made the choice to attend.

As our interview came to a close I asked a difficult question, "If you could do one thing different in your life, what would it be?"  Cruz reflected for a moment and mentioned furthering his educational goals would be an area of reconsideration.  Most importantly, when asked "What would you like others to know about you?"  Cruz firmly and confidently stated, "That I am a good family man."  Rosie furthered this self-assessment with an observation of her own, "...and he's a good husband and father!"

Thank you to both Rosie and Cruz for sharing your wonderful life of achievements with the rest of us.  We could learn a lesson or two about commitment, sacrifice, and longevity from your example.