Candelario Contreras Escobedo

Candelario Contreras Escobedo (Cande), reached peace and everlasting life into God's kingdom on December 15, 2017, after battling heart disease for ten years.

Candelario was born February 2, 1954 in Durango, Mexico. The family moved to Tijuana, Baja California after his father passed away when he was merely a child. That's where Cande met the love of his life and married Irma Escobedo on September 27, 1973. They came to Fallbrook to join her godparents, Josefina and Max Lopez and lived on the Sachse Ranch on Golden Road until their first son was born in 1975.

Candelario made his life, raised his four children, and worked the industry in helping Fallbrook grow throughout his 42 years in Fallbrook. Cande loved the outdoors and taking his family members on great camping trips over the years, especially down to Baja California which was his favorite.

Cande was an inspiration to all of his family members and friends who knew him because, with only a 6th grade education he persevered through all obstacles, he learned English on his own, and became a contractor and owner of Escobedo Paving.

Cande viewed challenges as opportunities to learn and grow and he used his mathematician gift to work his way up from an agricultural worker, to truck driver, to lead supervisor, and eventually, ventured to begin a partnership of an asphalt company during the late 80's, "C&J Paving" and later during the 90's became the sole-proprietor.

Cande was a humble man, who appreciated the people who helped him when he migrated to the U.S. He learned the tricks of the trade while working with Joe's Paving and East Bros. during his years in Fallbrook.

Cande is preceded in death by siblings: Martin, Florentino, Nacario, Andres, Evaristo, Jose Angel and parents, Gregoria and Juan Escobedo. Cande was the ninth out of 12 siblings.

Cande is survived by his loving wife Irma Escobedo; sons, Raul Escobedo, John Escobedo; daughter-in-law Elena Escobedo; daughters, Adriana Escobedo, Irene Escobedo; sons-in-law, Jerry Rivera, Ryan Matteson. seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; brother-in-law Jose Luis Castaneda; sister-in-law Eugenia Del Toro; Fernando Ovalle, Mario Ovalle, Soledad Ovalle; 12 nieces and nephews, and 22 great-nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his siblings, Antonio and Manuel Escobedo, Maria Zuniga, Angela Paredes and Juana Ruiz and many nieces and nephews who loved him.

Candelario will be greatly missed. Service and viewing will be on Friday, December 22, 6:30 p.m. at the San Juan Diego Center, Pala, Calif. Mass on Saturday, December 23, 10 a.m. at San Juan Diego Center with burial following at the Masonic Cemetery, Fallbrook, Calif.