Herminia Mathews

Birth: August 28, 1937 | Died: October 28, 2023

Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Herminia Mathews, passed away at age 86 in her Anaheim home on October 28, 2023, surrounded by family.

Herminia was born on August 28, 1937, in Tajamar, Bolivia, South America, the eighth of ten children to Pedro and Emilia Bautista. She would often reminisce about her childhood memories growing up in the country, with her parents, siblings, and many farm animals, like taking care of sheep (ovejas) with her brother, Dario. Over the years, Herminia was able to travel back to Bolivia with her daughters to visit family and friends and she would share these cherished memories.

Herminia obtained her Bachelor’s Degree and became a teacher. Education and achieving excellence were of the utmost importance to Herminia, a quality she instilled in her children. She would later move to California, circa 1973, where her first job was a live-in cook for musician Ray Charles and his family in Los Angeles.

She met her husband, Thomas Mathews, at Hollywood Magic in Hollywood, California. They married and raised three beautiful daughters, Barbara, Vanessa, and Susan in Orange County, California. They bought their family home in Anaheim in 1980 with a pool and made decades of happy memories together.

Herminia was the rock for her family; her nurturing gift was exemplified through her love of teaching, gardening, cooking, and her welcoming nature. She expressed creativity through her green thumb, stylish attire, passion for sewing, knitting blankets, scarves, hats for loved ones, and making dresses and costumes for her daughters. Herminia loved to go on walks and dance, her smile and laugh were contagious to all around her. Herminia’s steadfast loving presence, radiance, beauty, sense of humor, strong will, and beatitude will be dearly missed by all who love her. Herminia was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend and neighbor. Her three grandchildren, Rory, Sarah, and Declan brought so much joy to her life. She loved watching them play sports, games, dance, spending time with them and recently shared quality time with them in Ireland with Barbara and Brian and many others.

Herminia is survived by her husband Thomas, daughters Barbara, Vanessa, and Susan, brothers Arturo and Dario, sister Margarita, grandchildren Rory, Sarah, and Declan, son-in-law Brian, and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.