Antonio Villasenor
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Our bright light has left us. Antonio Villasenor, 87, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, January 13, 2020, after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. A mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 18th at 1:00 PM at Holy Family Cathedral. A reception will immediately follow at the Bridge Seafood Restaurant, 221 W. Ship Creek Avenue in Anchorage. Antonio was born on May 10, 1932, to Tomas and Maria (Rodriguez) Villasenor, in Villa Madero, Michoacan, Mexico, the second of twelve children. He was baptized at La Familia Sagrada Catholic Church in Villa Madero, Mexico. After attending school, he served for two years in the Mexican Army. He traveled and worked in Mexico for many years. Antonio then came to the U.S. in 1958, participating in the Bracero Program as a farmer and construction worker in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. He married his beautiful bride, Evangelina Rangel, on May 3, 1967, in Villa Madero, Mexico. Antonio moved to Alaska in 1971 to work in construction. To provide more opportunity for his family, he brought his wife and children from Mexico to Anchorage in 1974. Antonio worked as the head chef for La Mex Restaurants for twenty-five years, retiring in 1997. Antonio enjoyed his retirement, working around his home and gardening. He earned many awards for his vegetables, including several first place ribbons, at the Alaska State Fair. But his great passion was cooking for his family and friends. You could always find him in his kitchen, making pico de gallo, guacamole, posole, his famous chicken soup, Spanish rice, and many other authentic Mexican dishes which he made with pride and love. You would never leave his house hungry. He was a man of deep and devout Catholic faith, regularly attending mass several times weekly. He also loved to feed the ducks at Westchester Lagoon, even though the sign said "Don't Feed the Ducks!". Those ducks loved him and recognized him before he even got out of his car. He was energetic and full of life until the end. Antonio is survived by his five children, Carmen Starheim (Scot), Wasilla, Teresa Powell (Bryan), Anchorage, Tony Villasenor (Christy), Anchorage, Jose Luis Villasenor, Minneapolis, MN, and Yamely Wallace (Burt), Anchorage; seven grandchildren, Evan, Branson, Arameni, Itzuri, Yaxkin, Ayden and Evangelina; two sisters, Saluca Villasenor Hernandez and Carmen Villasenor Lopez, both of Villa Madero, Mexico, four brothers, Mariano Villasenor, Patterson, CA, Fortino Villasenor, Phoenix, AZ, Leon Villasenor, Palmdale, CA, and Gabriel Villasenor, Villa Madero, Mexico, and countless nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, five brothers, Jesus, Jose-Maria (Chemo), Bulmaro, Alfonso, and Rafael Villasenor, and son-in-law, Scot Starheim. His children write: Dad (Apa) was our everything, our foundation and the center of our lives. He brought life and joy to every situation. He was generous, kind and an absolutely wonderful father. He devoted his life to his family entirely. He took pride in everything he did. Dad always had wonderful stories to share and wowed us with his remembrance of specific dates of when and where. Dad was uplifting and would turn any negative situation into a positive. He would say "Don't waste your time worrying about things you can't change." Dad touched many lives and will be dearly missed by all who loved him.